Overnights for The Christmas Invasion give the average rating for the show
at 7.84m (40.6% share), with the audience steadily increasing throughout
to some 8.47m (42.4%) tuning in for the finale! The show was only
beaten by Eastenders (8.84m at 9:00pm), and Coronation Street saw
8.42m tune in at 8:00pm.

However, The Sun reports figures placing Doctor Who as the second highest
rated programme, with Eastenders at 10.1m, Who at 9.4m and Coronation Street
also at 9.4m.

New Doctor David Tennant was interviewed on Radio Four's Front Row
tonight, talking about how he grew up with the show and of course now
being in it! There was also discussion about the forthcoming drama on ITV
next week, Secret Smile.

The show is available on their
Listen Again service until tomorrow
evening. Warning: some spoilers are mentioned!

Tonight saw the first teaser trailer for The Christmas Invasion
air, just before and after Eastenders on BBC1 (8:00pm and 8:30pm);
if you happened to have missed
it the
BBC Cult site has it online,
plus a note about the second exclusive trailer next week.

Meanwhile, next week's Radio Times (10-16 Dec) includes an interview with
David Tennant, and the Christmas double issue will feature
Doctor Who on the cover
for the very first time!

The BBC have issued
a press release for their Christmas line-up, not least
of which is showcasing the Doctor Who special The Christmas Invasion;
however, the exact time that the episode will be on still hasn't been mentioned,
though the media widely believe it to be sandwiched between two special
hour long Eastenders episodes during the evening on Christmas Day.

In an interview with
Scotland Today, Stephen Fry comments on his
involvement with the new series:

In addition to his book on the mechanics of poetry, Stephen Fry is also writing a movie and a script for TV's longest-running science fiction show Dr Who

"I've done a strange thing, I've never done anything quite like it, I've written an episode of Dr Who. We are bound by all kinds of secrecy, I can tell you that it deals with a well-known British legend which has alien origins rather than just folklore origins. And that one of the most exciting moments of my life was starting the first page and writing "Exterior - The Tardis. The Tardis materialises on the surface of a strange planet." You write that and you think "I can't believe I have just written that."As one of the absolutely original Dr Who generation - I can remember the very first episode - and being hooked from that moment on."

After the filming that took place in London last week, the
South Wales Echo
reports on more location shooting back in Wales, with shots filmed along the
River Usk near the Riverfront Arts Centre; said a BBC spokeswoman:
"We wanted a location that looked like a stretch of the Thames in London."

ITV is developing a new science fiction series said to rival Doctor Who,
reports
The Stage this week; the £6m six-part programme
will follow a team of scientists who travel into prehistoric times and other worlds through black holes.
The series will feature CGI from Impossible Pictures (behind shows such as
Walking with Dinosaurs and Walking with Beasts), and will be written by
Adrian Hughes (adaptations of David Copperfield and Charles II). No transmission
date or day has been decided as yet, though it would be expected in an early
weekend evening.

The Radio Times reports that the Doctor Who special for Children in Need
is expected to air at 9:00pm on 18th November. Actual broadcast time is
subject to the vaguaries of the overall event's timings!

After the accidental slip on a BBC news page a few weeks ago, today's Sun proclaims on the front page that David Tennant's
premiere appearance will be Christmas Day itself; the hour long episode will
be accompanied by two episodes of Eastenders. The
Mirror also reports
on the story, commenting that it is expected that Doctor Who will be broadcast
between the two soap episodes, though a BBC spokesman is quoted as saying:
"There will be a Dr Who Christmas special starring David Tennant but it's too early to say where it will be scheduled.".

ITV plan two Coronation Street episodes to compete against the BBC line-up.
(which will mean that once again Doctor Who is up
against the long-lived soap ...)

Doctor Who had a triumphant win at the National Television Awards,
held last night; the show won all three of the categories it was up for,
with Christopher Eccleston (Best Actor), Billie Piper (Best Actress), and
the show itself (Best Drama).

Billie Piper, Noel Clarke, Camille Coduri and
Russell T Davies were in attendence, with the latter also collecting the
award on behalf of Eccleston, who was unable to attend the event due to flu;
reading out a message from the actor:
"Thank you to everybody who voted for me, and to the British public for their encouragement over the last 17 years.
They have always been honest with me and I'm very grateful." Billie thanked
her boyfriend, ex-husband Chris Evans, and Eccleston
"for being a fantastic doctor and teaching me so much.".

The award for the show was presented by the two Conservative leader
nominates David Davis and David Cameron. The show itself is broadcast on
ITV1 tonight from 8:00pm.

The BBC Schedule
Information for the week commencing 12th November includes information about
this year's Children In Need, including details about
"an exclusive mini-episode of Doctor Who, written by Russell T Davies".

A
press release for
BBC World Canada today confirmed that audiences there would see
The Christmas Invasion special air on Boxing Day, with a special
introduction by Billie Piper; the second series itself is also due during
2006, and the release mentions a DVD release of the first series in February.
(... which means the series looks likely to be available in Region One format before the States sees any episode broadcast!)

With Boxing Day cited for Canada, it seems likely
that the UK broadcast will be either then or before that date!

John Barrowman appeared on ITV1's Loose Women today, during which
the topic of Torchwood came up; John mentioned that the series might
well be repeated on BBC1! He also noted that "no one will know how he gets
to present day Earth".

The
BBC and
this morning's
Independent
report on the latest development in the Doctor Who universe, Torchwood.
An anagram of the main show, of course, the name first came up as a throwaway
line in Bad Wolf then registered by the BBC online as
torchwood.org.uk, the name now has a meaning: the name of a new
spin-off television series investigating modern-day alien activities
in Britain, and headed up by ... Captain Jack!

The new series is scheduled to broadcast on BBC3 during the summer next
year, which sounds like it will be shown after the end of the second series
of Doctor Who itself; this new series will be darker, more adult-oriented,
and as Stuart Murphy, controller of BBC3 observes:
"The people have affairs with one another. There will be sex and swearing,
I assume. I'm quite relaxed about that, it will be post-watershed and
Russell (T Davies) can do it in a funny and sexy way.". On the commissioning
itself: "We had never done sci fi before and it is a genre which people
treat in a certain way. You look at what he has done with Dr Who
and we said to Russell what would you do with a post-watershed sci fi?
Each episode of Torchwood will be a one-off story and will be funny in a way that Casanova brought humour to period drama."

Russell T Davies, writing the new series, observed:
"Torchwood will be a dark, clever, wild, sexy, British crime/sci-fi paranoid thriller cop show with a sense of humour - the X Files meets This Life."
Stuart Murphy added:
"It's a renegade bunch of investigators who investigate real-life, normal
crimes. They also look into alien happenings. They have been charged by the
British government to find alien technology that has fallen to Earth and they
need to do it without the FBI and UN knowing.
It's set in modern-day Cardiff. Unlike Doctor Who, which made Cardiff look like Dickensian London, this will look like Cardiff."

Captain Jack will of course once more be played by John Barrowman.
(which we would guess means that he must get to
modern day Wales somehow!)

French station France 4 will begin broadcasting the first new series
of Doctor Who from 5th November, from 10:30pm, says
Allocine. Interestingly, the article mentions David Tennant already, so no
surprises for French viewers!

It was reported in the weekend's
Sunday Mirror
that Pauline Collins (who appeared as Samantha Briggs in
1967 serial The Facelesss Ones) is appearing in
Series Two as Queen Victoria. She has been present at
the latest location filming, believed to be for
episode two, Tooth and Claw, which on set reports
suggest is set in late 19th Century Scotland.

Block Two also consists of episode four written by
Steven Moffatt, the working title of which is believed
to be The Girl in the Fireplace. Actress Sophia
Myles' own website says that she will
be playing the part of Louis XV's famous mistress
Madame Du Pompadour. This would seem to add strength
to previous speculation that the episode is set in
18th Century France.
(Will the Doctor run into his time twin
Giacomo Casanova who spent a number of years as a
courtesan of Louis XV?!)

Today's Metro "Green Room" notes:
Charlotte Church would love to star in the new Doctor Who series but
only if she can get a crash course in acting. "It's filmed in Cardiff
so I can do the accent but I'm really rubbish at acting," she admits.

And finally, on a related note Alan Davies discusses how he considered
the role of the Doctor in
The Telegraph:
The duffel-coated star of Jonathan Creek was once considered a favourite to play Dr Who. "When it was mooted, I thought it was going to be six half hours, like it used to be. And then when I heard it was 13 hour-long episodes and they were going to be in Cardiff for 10 months, I thought: Oooh," he says. "Then they worked Christopher Eccleston into the ground, he quit and the BBC put it about that he didn't want to be typecast. The truth was they just overworked him and he was exhausted."

This is Gwent
featured an article on a group of fans who are proficient in
Tae kwon do and kick boxing; they are to appear in the next series as
Shaolin monks, and will be filming late this month and early October -
and discuss having their hair shaved off for the parts!

DVD Extras (classified 16th September)
This set of extras compromises various trailers that were broadcast during
the series, plus another featurette Laying Ghosts:

00:08:23:06 LAYING GHOSTS
00:00:28:20
00:00:29:04 (STATIC CREDITS)
00:00:06:11 NO TITLE ON SCREEN
00:00:06:13 NO TITLE ON SCREEN
00:00:06:11 NO TITLE ON SCREEN
00:00:50:09 DOCTOR WHO SATURDAYS 7.00
00:00:31:05 DOCTOR WHO SATURDAYS 7.00
00:00:21:16 DOCTOR WHO SATURDAY 7.00
00:00:21:06 DOCTOR WHO NEXT SATURDAY 7.00
00:00:22:09 DOCTOR WHO AFTER STRICTLY COME DANCE FEVER
00:00:11:05 TOMORROW AT 7.00
00:00:29:15 DOCTOR WHO AFTER STRICTLY COME DANCE FEVER
00:00:10:02 TIME IS UP IN 5 DAYS
00:00:10:03 TIME IS UP IN 4 DAYS
00:00:09:24 TIME IS UP IN 3 DAYS
00:00:10:06 TIME IS UP IN 2 DAYS
00:00:10:02 TIME IS UP IN 1 DAYS
00:00:16:01 DOCTOR WHO TONIGHT 7.00
00:00:34:21 TIME IS UP
00:00:49:05 COUNTDOWN TO THE CHRISTMAS INVASION
00:00:51:08 (DOCTOR WHO)
00:00:13:18 (DOCTOR WHO)

Doctor Who Confidential(classified 16th September)The Confidentials in their "Cut Down" form; this classification
only includes the first seven of the confidentials so far, though it has
been reported that all thirteen plus an additional special are expected:

00:12:03:06 BRINGING BACK THE DOCTOR
00:11:14:19 THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY
00:11:07:15 TARDIS TALES
00:10:57:11 I SIDE KICK OUT OF YOU
00:13:06:21 WHY ON EARTH?
00:10:49:20 DALEK
00:11:36:01 THE DARK SIDE

The strangeness that is BBC3 scheduling for Doctor Who continues this
weekend, with another back-to-back couple of episodes being shown on Sunday
evening; this time it's the turn of Boom Town and Bad Wolf.
Boom Town will be preceded at 7:00pm by it's
respective Confidential, Unsung Heroes and Violent Death.

This scheduling would seem to indicate that the tenth Confidential.
The Weird Science of Doctor Who would not get broadcast; however
it will be on Friday 23rd in its "cut down" form at 9:45pm after
The Doctor Dances is broadcast. Saturday 24th sees the full length
of this Confidential, and everything returns to "normal" on Sunday 25th
with The Parting of the Ways at 7:00pm followed by the "cut down"
The Last Battle at 7:45pm.

(The scheduling is a little surprising as one
might have
expected Bad Wolf and The Parting of the Ways to be paired
up instead!).

Just a reminder, this coming Friday sees the re-showing of
The Empty Child at 9:00pm, followed by the
first broadcast of the "cut-down" Special Effects Confidential,
which was not shown originally over the Eurovision weekend in May.
Saturday sees the full length version repeated at 7:45pm.

Well, according to an article on
the BBC News site, "A Christmas special is due to be broadcast on Christmas Day, followed by a 13-part series next year."Obviously there is no official confirmation of the broadcast date as yet,
though it is interesting that this is a BBC site reporting the date for
The Christmas Invasion.

The article itself is about the current TUC conference taking place in
Brighton, where the Writers Guild of Great Britain heaped praise on
the new series, saying
"there was no substitute for well-resourced, home-grown drama and comedy material written, performed and produced in the UK". Said member Hugh Stoddart:
"The popularity of the series demonstrates that there is still an audience for quality family entertainment, and that distinctive UK television productions can still provide a talking point for the nation."

Note: susequent to this, the article has been
modified to only say that the show would be on at Christmas, not on
the 25th itself

The Official Red Dwarf Fan Club
held their twelfth annual convention Dimension Jump last weekend,
during which a special
effects panel took place including Who effects designer Mike Tucker.
During the course of the interview he and his team discussed what they
had been up to, and during talks about their new freelance company
the subject of Doctor Who came up! As mentioned in the
official Red Dwarf site report for Saturday, not only have they
been working on the impending
Doctor Who Christmas Special, but would then be taking on the new series!

The Mirror
this morning reports that, as well as Sarah Jane Smith, another old
companion will be returning, though will only be expecting to
be in one episode.
(You will need JavaScript to read the item)

The BBC Doctor Who site
confirmed the story, noting that the actor in question is delighted
to be back in the series.
(You will need JavaScript to read the item)
The script is for the third episode of the new series, School Reunion,
written by Toby Whithouse, and also features guest star Anthony Head.

Blue Peter saw the results of their recent Design a Monster
competition, which saw some 43920 entries from children aged under sixteen,
the most successful competition for the show since 1993!

The competition was judged by series executive producer Russell T Davies,
Blue Peter producer Richard Marson, and presenter Gethin Jones.
The overall winner of the competition was announced by new Doctor
David Tennant on the show as the creature
'Abzorbaloff' (right), by William Grantham from Colchester, whose prize is to see
his design turned from drawing to a real monster appearing in the show
itself.
William's was chosen from the
nine winning designs,
with
500 runners up.

In a
BBC Press Release
producer Richard Marson said: We were staggered by the popularity of the competition. We knew Doctor Who had been a huge hit with our audience but this was something else.
Every day brought more sacks and, as well as getting all hands on deck in the Blue Peter office, we also had to draft in extra help to get through the mountain of highly inventive designs."

The show also included a brief interview with David Tennant, talking about
starting on Doctor Who and taking questions from viewers, and afterwards
he participated in a live webchat. There was also some further pictures from
the runners up and another competition on the CBBC Extra Interactive
channel on Digital.

Filming on The Christmas Invasion has continued in central Cardiff,
says the
Western Mail,
with various shops having a makeover to give them a more festive look, including
a giant Christmas Tree near the Central Library. However, all is not so good
for the cast, with Billie Piper having to wear a fur-lined coat in spite of
the hot weather the UK is experiencing at the moment!
Also mentioned by
Digital Spy
and
News24.Com (South Africa).
(You will need JavaScript to read the item)

In news over the weekend,
DigitalSpy
reported on an article in the Mirror about how fans had been disrupting
filming by using flash photography, and a request by the BBC for those
attending filming to be more considerate of the recording process.
The
official BBC site
has more on the incidents.

Broadcast Magazine has reported that Doctor Who will be one of the first shows
to be filmed in high definition television. Simon Walker,
BBC Controller of Corporate Strategy, said that
HD is a priority at the BBC, where
commissioners are urging program suppliers to shoot future
productions in HD, especially for flagship programs such as Dr Who.
The BBC is aiming to be completely HD by 2010, though Walker has warned
that this may be limited only to commercially funded platforms (such as Sky
or NTL) as current Freeview bandwidth is too limited.

Monday Location Filming (5th-1st August 2005)

Some photos from the
location filming
that took place in Cardiff on Monday 1st August in Cardiff.

A collection of the links etc. that have come up during the course of this
week.

The Sun
feature a photo spread of filming that took place in London this week at
the Brandon Estate (the area of Rose's home).

You can find a more detailed location report and other photos of the
recent filming in London from
UNIT News.

The Doctor's costume is examined in more detail by
BBCi,
breaking it down into the constituent parts you can buy from the High Street
shops!

Female First reports that
David Tennant wishes to be the first naked Time Lord! Quoted from
The Sun:
"I'm going to be nude throughout. It's a whole new thing, with a bit of pixelation around the groin ... Casanova and the Doctor have a similar joy and wit about them. There is less sh**ging in 'Doctor Who', but who knows? We might change that, too!"

Says the Mirror this morning:
A Buckingham Palace source said: "The Queen loves the programme and has requested a full set of DVDs.
She has asked the BBC to send her copies so she can watch the series again during her stay at Balmoral."
Her courtiers ordered the 13-part DVD set from the Cardiff-based team at BBC Wales which made the series for a record £10million.
The monarch has followed the show since it began in 1963 with William Hartnell as the first of nine actors to play the time-travelling hero.

Not surprisingly the media leapt upon the news yesterday on the start
of production, and in particular the new Doctor's
"geek chic" costume. Says the
Guardian:
Tennant has eschewed Eccleston's contemporary styling and the gentleman cricketer look sported by Peter Davison in the 1980s for a brown pinstripe suit, ankle-length brown coat and cream plimsolls. But his long flapping coat will remind many longstanding "Whovians" of the classic Doctors played by Tom Baker and Jon Pertwee in the 1970s..

The
Times:
DOCTOR WHO has discovered classic men's tailoring during his latest regeneration, according to the first pictures of David Tennant emerging from the Tardis.
Pinstripes, tie and a heavy-duty overcoat will replace Christopher Eccleston's black leather jacket when the Scottish actor takes over the role for the next BBC One series. The ensemble was created by Louise Page, a freelance costume designer.
A pair of white Converse sneakers maintains the Doctor's eclecticism to offset the sleek, Soho-louche look.

CBBC also cover the news of the series, and are currently
running
a poll on what you think of the new costume. At the time of writing
50.33% think it is a good costume,
15.57% think it isn't too good, and
34.10% preferred the Eccleston look!

Meanwhile, the comments by Tennant about fans' thoughts on him reach the
southern hemisphere, reported by the
New Zealand Herald.

A whole host of information for the second series of Doctor Who has arrived
today,
including the first publicity photo for new Doctor David
Tennant's costume (right), consisting of a brown striped suit,
trenchcoat, and trainers(!).

Says Tennant: "I think we've come up with something distinctive that's both timeless and modern, with a bit of geek chic and of course, a dash of Time Lord!
Most importantly Billie tells me she likes it - after all she's the one who has to see me in it for the next nine months."

And Billie Piper, confirmed to be in all the episodes of this series,
says: "I'm thrilled to be stepping back into the role of Rose. We plan to make series two even bigger and better and challenge the viewers' imaginations like never before - wait until you get a load of the
new doctor!"

Russell T Davies says about the second series:
"We were delighted and honoured by the first series' success, and we can promise new thrills, new laughs, new heartbreak and some terrifying new aliens."
The Christmas Special will feature a new alien called Sycorax, who
brings the whole of Earth under it's shadow; the story
also sees the return of MP (now Prime
Minister?) Harriet Jones, played once again by Penelope Wilton.

Other guest stars include Anthony Stewart Head and Adam Garcia;
however, of most interest for veteran fans is the return of arguably
the most favourite companion from the 20th Century, Sarah Jane Smith,
once again played by Elisabeth Sladen!

The media today report on how David Tennant is finding fan
feedback on his assuming the role of the Doctor. Referring to the interview
appearing in the latest issue of
Doctor Who Magazine,
The Mirror.
BBCi,
icScotland,
Daily Record,
Contact Music,
Western Mail,
and
Scotsman
all comment on his observations about him from fan forums like
Outpost Gallifrey:
"The first comment I read was very nice, and the next comment was terribly flattering, and then the next one said something like 'I can't bear the sight of him!'
The one after that said 'That's it! The dream is finished! Somebody who looks like a weasel could never play the Doctor!'".

Others like
The Sun,
Contact Music,
and
DigitalSpy
concentrate on his views
of new co-star Billie Piper:
"Obviously I've been admiring her in the show; she's just great. Fantastic. Just absolutely perfect. Spunky and quick and sexy... just the ideal companion really. So I'm very very pleased that she's doing the whole series."

And on his own arrival on screen this Christmas:
"I hope they stick with it and give it a chance. I know everyone loved Chris, and so did I, but hopefully I won't disappoint people!"

In addition,
Sci-Fi Wire, the
Ottawa Citizen,
and
SyFyPortal
discuss Tennant's appearance at BBC America's recent Autumn press preview in
Beverley Hills, Los Angeles. On the rumours about him wearing a kilt:
"No kilt. That was a joke I made one night, and somebody wrote it down as a fact. Look, I don't have any big ideas about this. It's not as if I'm going to do it with a limp or something. But you always try to find a way to make it your own."; on the recent terrorist attacks in London affecting future stories:
"It's a very interesting question, I really don't know. There's certainly
nothing in the three scripts we're starting that would give pause for thought."; and on coming to the event:
"It's very exciting and fantastically daunting that you come to L.A. and everyone here knows about it as well, because there's a lot of attention - it's very scary right now because I haven't started."

Not surprisingly, the BBC3 schedule for the first UK repeat series of
Doctor Who has been changed from last week
(and might well change again!).
Since the original
Radio Times
report of Saturday 16th July at 7:45pm, this has now been revised to
Sunday 17th July, at 7:00pm; also, the documentary series
Doctor Who Confidential has been scheduled as the
Cut Down version, running from
7:45-8:00pm - the first five of these were never broadcast orginally,
so something "new" to see!

The
BBC Doctor Who site reports that the episode will now be re-repeated
on Fridays at 9:00pm rather than on Wednesday.

Note: at the time of writing, the Radio Times site actually has
Rose listed as 7:00-7:15pm!

ITV have announced their annual
National Television Awards, a public vote
for a ceremony to take place in October - and
Doctor Who has a number of nominations you can vote for!

Most Popular Drama, Doctor Who

Most Popular Actor, Christopher Eccleston

Most Popular Actress, Billie Piper

(you can also vote for Dead Ringers in the Most Popular Comedy
nomination!)

Among the 43 nominations for the actor role,
Christopher Eccleston is up against former Doctor Peter Davison for his
role in Distant Shores - and of course "hundreds" of soap stars
throughout the categories!

Meanwhile, Doctor Who also fared well in the recent third
Metro Urban-Life Survey for 2005, with the
show being considered the fourth most loved programme on television (12%);
this was behind
Desperate Housewives (31%), CSI (14%) and ER (12%).
Fifth place was taken up by The Simpsons with 10%.

The People on Sunday reported that Billie Piper would be playing the role
of Rose throughout the second series of Doctor Who, having
negotiated herself a £210,000 for the part.
Say a BBC spokesperson: "It's great that Billie is staying. Her deal is what she deserves as she's a favourite with fans."
The deal
places her on a higher salary than
incoming Doctor David Tennant, who is to earn £166,000 for his
first series; however, it is also reported that this will actually
be £500,000 for a full three series contract. The story was
taken up
by
DigitalSpy
and on Monday by
Female First.

BBCi and
the teletext services have reported that the BBC are talking to
actor/writer and QI presenter Stephen Fry about writing for
Doctor Who; however,
a BBC spokeswoman made it clear that there were
(currently!) no plans for him to appear
in the series. The story was picked up by
Waveguide.

Christopher Eccleston held his first interview after the end of the series
yesterday, at a Mencap charity event. Talking to
Radio 1's Newsbeat, he said:
"The best thing about 'Doctor Who' for me has been the response I've had from children, both in the street and the number of letters and drawings of me and daleks, which are all over my wall at home.
In all the 20 years I've been acting, I've never enjoyed a response so much as the one I've had from children and I'm carrying that in my heart forever."

The New Statesman
for the 27th June issue carried a review of the end of the series this week;
Andrew Billen comments:
The successfully regenerated Doctor Who has now reached the end of its current run, as has its star, Christopher Eccleston. "My head is killing me," said Rose, who had swallowed the time vortex through her eyeballs and was in danger of speaking truer than she knew. "You need a doctor," said the doctor and initiated a kiss as long delayed as that joke. Eccleston is not the first old git to be knackered by proximity to a teenage sex bomb, but the effects this time were spectacular. The Gallifreyan Asbo-flouter exploded and turned into David Tennant - the only known example of a woman not only making a man feel ten years younger, but literally making him so. Tennant is 34, surely the very minimum age for a Doctor Who.
And finally:
Yet, paradoxically, and despite the variations in tone, this was a serious piece of work that wove historical traditions into the fabric of our times and thereby managed to embroider everything from reality TV to bisexuality. Just as the police box once represented the presence of the state in every high street, Davies's Tardis became a symbol of public-service quality in the Saturday-night schedules. And that makes three cheers in all.

A further reviews, also positive, from
SyFyPortal:
The final episode, however, exterminated that cheese, once again reuniting the Doctor with his most feared enemy. And not just one of them, but an entire invasion army poised to harvest the human race.
As the Dalek god proclaimed "Behold The Doctor: The Great Exterminator!" I could feel the hair on the back of my neck rising and the goose bumps forming. Chills ran down my spine and I knew once and for all that "Doctor Who" was back--and as the Dalek invasion force entered the lower levels of Satellite Five intent on killing the human civilians, I wanted nothing more than to be able to dive behind my sofa.
The scale of the invasion was completely unexpected for a British television show. This series has broken all boundaries and gone to show that Britons can make epic sci-fi just as well as anyone else.
So with a weirdness you'd never see on "Star Trek," the gut-wrenching emotion of the best dramas and an epic scale that even the most creative television shows are unable to create, Davies' "Doctor Who" has shown it is a match for anything currently in production. The only regret about the series is that Eccleson will not be returning for the second season. David Tennent has a tough role to follow, and I can only hope he is up to the challenge.

The Sun, in the guise of Ally Ross at least, was a little
more reserved:
But an exciting, superbly paced, life-affirming piece of drama to finish
off Christopher Eccleston's run. And BBC1 really should be applauded, not just
for its technical excellence but also incredible restraint in not appointing
Graham Norton as the next Doctor Who. You think that's fanciful? Don't.
For as good as many of the episodes in this series were, there were other times
when Doctor Who became a Tardis-sized pain in the arse, due - as always - to
familiar BBC flaws and obsessions. June plugs for the Christmas special have
alerted everyone to the fact that Doctor Who is now spreading its tentacles
all over the crapper parts of Beeb1's schedule, just like Strictly Come
Dancing. And after a discussion of the various political and sexual
comment that occured in the series:
Hopefully, BBC1 will remember its main audience before series two.
Because Paisley boy David Tennant seems like the right choice for the role
and if he can get rid of the home counties accent he picked up during
regeneration - anything is possible.

And then The Star:
"It's the ones you love that always break your heart and, after my tidal
wave of gushy emotions over Dr Who, blow me if the last episode wasn't - well
- a little bit pish. Don't get me wrong. I was gripped throughout and tears
were in my eyes when Eccleston gave his farewell speech. And that's what
made the writing so brilliant. Because these flowery speeches masked the
fact that actually the plot of the last episode was bollocks."

Meanwhile
The
Independent report on Labour MP Harry Cohen highlighting an issue where
an Early Day Motion he'd tabled regarding praise for Doctor Who but
it had been discarded due to problems over 'farting aliens'!

Finally, The
Guardian reports that Endemol - company behind Big Brother - boss
Peter Bazalgette
has become a member of the DWAS! Talking about the most recent series at
a broadcasting conference:
"The most magnificent piece of TV I can remember for a long time."

Back on the 15th April 2002, the former Controller of BBC1 appeared on
Room 101, and consigned the old series away to the room. Now,
however, the new Chairman of the BBC seems to have been swayed by
the adventures of the 2005 version of the series! The
BBC Doctor
Who site
report that Michael Grade, whose son is now a fan, had sent an email to the Director General
Mark Thompson praising the show:
"This is not easy to write - as you will readily understand. But here goes -
congratulations to all involved in Dr Who: to whoever commissioned it,
those who executed it, the writers, the cast, the publicity folk that
promoted it, the schedulers and of course the late Sydney Newman who
invented the whole thing."

Wednesday's
Guardian picks up on the story, commenting:
The list of superlatives for BBC1's Doctor Who revival grows ever longer: seeing off Celebrity Wrestling, winning over diehard fans and a new generation of viewers, and resurrecting family TV viewing almost singlehandedly.
But today the show achieved perhaps its greatest triumph to date - winning the glowing approval of one of its biggest critics, the BBC chairman, Michael Grade, who suspended Doctor Who for 18 months when he was running BBC1 in the 80s.
And in
an earlier article
it corrects one of the common misconceptions of
the public: Mr Grade became a hate figure for Doctor Who fans when he rested the show in early 1985. It returned the following September, but he was still not happy, insisting on the replacement of Colin Baker before agreeing to commission a further series.
But Mr Grade was not at the helm when Doctor Who was finally retired for good in 1989 - that decision fell to the then BBC1 controller, Jonathan Powell.

Speaking of films, the
Sunday Telegraph
reports that The television phenomenon of 2005 is heading for the big screen for the first time in 40 years. The BBC confirmed that it is considering a film adaptation after the triumphant climax of the Doctor Who series last night. Paul McGann commented: "I think the fans were starved for some new material and were bored of the repeats. The new series came at exactly the right time. I think a cinema version could do very well." However, there is no
confirmation from the BBC that a film will be made, only that it is under
consideration (and has been for some time).
Also reported by
Contact Music, though they neglect to point
out that it is only being considered!

Ratings-wise, the lower viewing figures seen across the board for
Saturday have been attributed to the excellent weather that day;
BBCi
reported on the BBC's opinion: The BBC spokeswoman said that, despite
viewing figures being down, it was still the most watched television show
of the evening, with a 41.8% share of the audience in the 1900-2000BST slot.
"Almost half of those watching television tuned in to Doctor Who," she said.
"It continues to be the most-watched television show on a Saturday night."
Also reported by
DigitalSpy,
Female First,
The Guardian,
The Scotsman,
MediaWeek,
and in various other papers on Monday.

Former BBC Chairman Greg Dyke talks about Doctor Who in his column for
today's
Independent;
commenting on it's success:
"The reason Doctor Who was a triumph is that, for the first time for some years, we had a new (at least, it felt new) early-evening drama that could be watched by the whole family, something that many in television thought was close to impossible to achieve in the multi-channel age. Just listening to Jonathan Ross raving about the series on his Saturday morning show on Radio Two tells you why it was so special; it gave him the opportunity to sit with his children and watch a programme that they all enjoyed, but on a range of different levels.".

The
Manchester Evening News
was also positive about the show, with review Iain Hepburn raving about
Daleks everywhere, "Anne Robinson" getting exterminated:
"For the fans though, and I'm not ashamed to admit I'm one of the
old-school breed, this was outstanding. Clever, subtle references in dialogue
and storytelling to the original series, with enough modern touches to make
it still feel as fresh and energetic as the Doctor himself.
Some may be churlish and point out the flaws in the plot. Or complain about
Captain Jack kissing both Rose and the Doctor goodbye (and those that do -
please leave now. Really, switch off your computer and don't come back.).
I'm not going to.
There was no pretentions here, this was just great, balls to the wall entertainment. Fourty five of the best minutes of Doctor Who, and possibly of family drama, ever.".

The kiss is likely to cause a controversy though, according to the
Star at least:
TV bosses are bracing themselves for a backlash from moral crusaders tomorrow night when they screen a kiss between Dr Who and bisexual time-traveller Captain Jack Harkness. In the last episode of the series, the Timelord and Rose face the wrath of the Daleks - and Captain Jack, actor John Barrowman, 38, is sure they won't survive. As he gets set to mount an attack on the aliens, he plants a smacker on the Doctor's lips and says: 'See you in hell!' Despite the cheeky nature of the kiss, telly watchdogs are already up in arms about it. David Turtle of MediaWatch said: "This is totally inappropriate, considering Doctor Who goes out in the early evening and is meant to be for family viewing."

Other reviews included an exploration of what happens when religion
gets a little too carried away in
The Herald,
more positive ones from
The Telegraph
and
Independent,
but the
Mirror felt that the series and
Christopher Eccleston only
excelled when the Daleks were about; Gary Bushell in the
People wasn't so
keen on the creations of Russell T Davies either. On the other hand, Scotland's
Sunday Mail
understandedly concentrated on the arrival of David Tennant!
And today's Metro gave the episode five stars for the second week
running! "Woe! oh woe! It's over. But gosh, it was a corker. Even after
weeks of 'fantastic foreplay -
false scripts, bogus Internet rumours (www.badwolf.org.uk), frittering away BBC cash on red herring endings - the last
episode of Doctor Who did not disappoint. An exploding TARDIS! A new (utterly
scrummy) Doctor! A galaxy-worth of evil Daleks hovering over Earth like greedy
weight-watchers round the sausage tray! Top telly writer of the universe
Russell T Davies knew what fans young and old wanted - and he delivered it
in spades!"

CBBC's Newsround Showbiz featured a two-part interview with
Russell T Davies over it's two shows this weekend,
the first examining the
lead up to the evening's episode and the mystery of Bad Wolf, and
the second
the second considering the future direction
of the series. Apart from confirming the further third series and
Billie staying on, Davies also reported that, as well as the much-publicised
return of classic enemy the Cybermen, there would also be new villains and
some returning characters from the last series too. He also confirmed that
there would again be a running theme through the second series, set up by
a word which has already been heard on screen in series one! On other
aspects like how Tennant will play the role, all he would say is:
"You'll have to wait and see, there are big revelations on the way and I can't say any more than that." .

Noel Clarke and Camille Cadori will certainly be back in their respective
roles of Mickey and Jackie, in the Christmas special at least, and John
Barrowman said that he would be back at some point as Captain Jack during his
interview on Entertainment Today last Friday.
Meanwhile, the Sun seems to think that one of those characters
mentioned would be former companion Sarah Jane Smith, with K9. Russell T
Davies is quoted as saying: "Talks are under way with Elisabeth Sladen to
revive the iconic character Sarah Jane Smith, who is remembered by a whole
generation of Doctor Who fans."

Broadcast Now reported that though the third series has been
commissioned, it hadn't as yet confirmed that new Doctor David Tennant hadn't
as yet signed a contract for it; says a BBC spokesperson:
"We're still in discussions with David Tennant and Billie Piper. The third series has only just been announced, so it's still early days."

Into the last full day before the series ends, and the media keep up
their interest ... and try to spoil the ending for the masses, with both
The Sun and The Mirror concentrate on the final moments
of the show (no prizes for guessing on what!).

The Western Mail for Cardiff also reports on the ending, but goes on
to discuss future series direction with Russell T Davies.
"One of the hardest things about the second series will be sticking to the same road we've created.
In many ways, after you've proved successful with one series, the second series is the biggest, most dangerous challenge, so none of us are resting on our laurels. We want to stay faithful to the roots of the programme, while also pushing it further."
He also mentions that, contrary to some rumours, Harry Potter author JK Rowling hasn't been approached to write for the second series:
"... she turned us down, and I'm not crawling back to ask a second time!"
And finally, on the new Doctor's personality:
"... as the Doctor, he won't be hugely different to Christopher Eccleston.
He'll have a different style of dialogue, and his own quirks - just like you had Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker and Peter Davison - but he's still the Doctor.
He'll be wearing different clothes, but rumours that David will be wearing a kilt are completely untrue."

Other areas of the media didn't 'survive' either, with John Barrowman
appearing on Entertainment Today on ITV, and again on the
on the Nicola Heywood Thomas show on BBC Radio Wales; the latter show
also featured a discussion on how successful Doctor Who has become, including
DWAS Press Officer Antony Wainer!
Executive producer Russell T Davies also appeared on the welsh station earlier,
during
Good Morning Wales.
Commenting on where his inspiration came from, Russell said:
"I went back in my mind to the sixties ... and their imagination back
then was limitless ... they were so imaginative it didn't matter they didn't
have the budget; it was very much going to back and writing Doctor Who as it
always was in the minds of its creators - it's just now that we have CGI and
a nice budget that we can actually show some of these things, but in its
heart it's always been this imaginative, and always this big."
And on Christopher Eccleston's departure:
"the name of the programme had become a
joke and Chris, as one of the country's leading actors, by being willing to
step up to the line and take on that part - a very risky part, he really put
himself on the line - and has proved himself to be magnificent; so
he has turned it around so now you get actors like David Tennant, who is the
next generation, just about one of the best actors in the world. David
himself has said that he wouldn't have touched this part if Chris hadn't
done it, as the part had become a joke but Chris has salvaged it and made
it new."

And just to have something non-spoiler-based to go and visit:
The Guardian published a letter on the Wookey Hole Dalek;
Wakefield Today talks about local "Horbury Dalek";
the
Carlisle News & Star interview Peter Tyler, model unit director for photography
on the series;
and
Sci-Fi Online have an article on where they think episode breaks should occur if
the show was to revert back to the traditional 25 minute episode format.

And finally, Radio 4's
Today
programme featured a discussion on the effect of television in educating the
public, including a reference to Doctor Who and Rose's motivations in
Father's Day.

Please note all Listen Again links above are limited
to when the next relevant programme goes out!

In the Times article mentioned earlier today, market research had
suggested that the BBC were heading for a disaster by bringing back
Doctor Who; according to the research "no one wanted to watch Doctor Who. Kids said it was a programme for their parents.
The parents said it was a dead show." The paper went on to say that the
show was a "niche" series for "science fiction geeks", with the recent
Thunderbirds film used as an example of how resurrecting old favourites
can fail.

A special presentation of the final episode of this series,
The Parting of the Ways, took place at BAFTA last night, during
which Head of BBC Drama Commissioning Jane Tranter and executive producer
Russell T Davies confirmed that the second series begins production in July
to be broadcast early in 2006, and that Billie Piper will appear throughout
the series as Rose. The Christmas special will be called, appropriately enough,
The Christmas Invasion; Russell is to pen six of the thirteen scripts
for this series.

Also, a further third series of
of thirteen episodes has been commissioned; with a second special for
Christmas 2006 also expected this means we will have at least 41 episodes to
look back on at the end of 2007!

Much of the success has been put down to the wider range of viewers
watching the show and the writers themselves; the Guardian
quotes Jane Tranter: "Russell is a fantastic writer. Who else could have had the Doctor save the world from a council estate to Downing Street and bring him to the heart of the darkness of reality TV." And CBBC
report on Russell's own comments:
"What was most pleasing is that people have been watching this series as a family. I think a children's show should have a full range of emotions including grief and comedy.". The Times adds:
"I wanted the series to deal with adult themes such as grief and loss. A six-year-old can watch and feel what is going on even if he doesn.t fully comprehend everything. The world is not always a happy place."

Of course, the screening means that the media are now beginning to report
on what we can expect on Saturday, so stay clear of the papers and online
sites if you don't want to know! Link-wise, if you really wish to read further ...

BBCi
report that Phil Collinson has announced the first three directors for the next series of Doctor Who.
Block One will be directed by James Hawes (The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances),
and block two by Euros Lyn (The End of the World/The Unquiet Dead);
block three will see the return of old-time director Graeme Harper,
who is responsible for the classic tales
The Caves of Androzani and
Revelation of the Daleks.
The BBC site also carries a
video of the announcement
(which seems likely to be
featured as part of the CBBCExtra digital broadcast this
coming weekend).

More on the CBBC special mentioned, yesterday. The show will "air" from
Friday and run until Sunday; to access it, simply press the red button on any BBC channel and then type in the number
570, or alternatively go to Sky Channel 616 and press
red for CBBCExtra.

There will be some exclusive Doctor Who footage, including
a new Phil Collinson interview.

WHY ARE YOU READING THIS?!!!BBCi have issued
a statement warning Doctor Who fans to stay away from the Internet
in order to avoid any spoilers that may appear about the last episode!
Though of course, reading between the lines the references to the spin-off
sites like Bad Wolf and to the
online trailers for this week might make you think otherwise ...
(grin)

The Times also picks up on the story, with some thoughts on what 'Bad Wolf' might
actually mean! As the media will be seeing previews imminently, the papers
might also be no-go areas for this week, too! Broadcast Online's
email bulletin made it their "quote of the day"!

The "Time is Up in Five Days ..." trailer was broadcast yesterday
evening on BBC1 before and after Eastenders, and
the first "In Four Days" went out after Breakfast News at 9:15am this
morning (same scene); the second trailer was broadcast after Eastenders
at 8:00pm this evening -
be ready for more followup teasers over the next few days'
lead-up to the
Saturday broadcast! Or, if you want to ignore the BBC warning you can
find them on the BBC Doctor Who
website.

BBCi
also report that former 'enemy' of the Doctor, BBC chairman Michael Grade, has
become a fan of the new series! "It has been a memorable year in terms of the BBC showcasing strong Welsh productions for the whole UK audience to enjoy:
Casanova, Tribe, A Year at Kew - and, of course, my favourite, Doctor Who.
We will not dwell on the fact that I - in an earlier incarnation - took Doctor Who off the air. You live. You learn... especially in Wales, you learn."

The DWAS site won't be posting any spoilers for
the episode in the clear at any time during the week, so you can safely
visit our site - if you want to read them then follow links off our site
or click on the spoiler links such as the one below!

The BBC home page now have a banner
counting down the days before The Parting of the Ways premieres
on BBC1 next Saturday; the banner also reports that there will be a
clip broadcast just before Eastenders tonight, at 8:00pm.
You can also watch the clip online via their website.
(The link on the homepage was pulled later in
the afternoon, which might well have been down to so many attempts
to access the trailer!)

Also, Brendan Sheppard, content producer for CBBCi, has advised us that
there will be a new selection of Doctor Who related content
available via the children's section of BBCi this coming Friday,
including a clip that has not been shown elsewhere. CBBCi is
available to digital TV viewers in the UK by pressing the red button
your remote. The Doctor Who content is likely to be available on page
560.

You can also see Christopher Eccleston in Top Gear on
Tuesday evening, BBC2 at 7:00pm
(repeat of Sunday evening's broadcast at 8:00pm).

Saturday's The Weakest Link also has a Who flavour,
with Colin Baker appearing on the show which features Doctors, both
real and imaginary!

Saturday's Doctor Who Confidential 45 minute special on BBC1 before
The Parting of the Ways has been listed as The Last Battle,
the same name as the 'usual' half-hour programme on BBC3 at 7:45pm. It seems
likely that this is a mistake on the site (otherwise we are scheduled will see
45, 30, and 15 minute versions of the same show!)
(Weds: The mistake has since been corrected back to
The Ultimate Guide)

Plenty to read from The Guardian today; as well as a glowing
review of Bad Wolf, there is also an interview with
Russell T Davies on how returning back to his 'first love' of Doctor Who
was not a bad thing to do! And as for the Christmas special: "just wait
til you see what we do with Santa!". There are also related articles
on the ITV problems against Who, with Granada boss Simon Shap saying
that ,"there is no need to panic", and ITV entertainment chief
Claudia Rosencrantz saying that the channel "is not in crisis"; Shaps
comments that ITV was trying out new shows, whereas the BBC's biggest hits, Strictly Come Dancing and Doctor Who, were revivals.

New Doctor David Tennant is reported in the
Sunday Mail
as being inspired to be an actor by former Doctor Tom Baker. Tom, in turn,
has said that he is proud of the fact, saying "'I have caught a glimpse of Tennant and he has a kind of mercurial quality.
I suppose it's star quality. You can believe he has secrets. I'm looking forward to David being hugely successful,"

The official Doctor Who website
has the BBC3 repeat of Bad Wolf listed as 12:15am Sunday morning;
however, the
main site schedule still lists the repeat as being at
10:55pm. We understand the 10:55pm time to be the correct one (with
Confidential following on straight afterwards).

There will also be a further showing of both Bad Wolf and
Doctor Who Confidential Cut Down on Friday 17th June on BBC3
at 9:00pm to get us in the mood for Saturday ...

... which will also see a further documentary for the series
a
further documentary for the series,
broadcast before the final episode,
The Parting of the Ways, at 6:15pm on the 18th June. Entitled
Doctor Who: The Ultimate Guide, it has been made by
the "Confidential" team and brings together the elements seen in the series
over the course of the last twelve episodes leading to the 'epic' finale!

This morning's
Telegraph
talks about the triumph of the new series. Says Sam Leith: "Old Europe is collapsing. The Japanese are drilling a tunnel to the centre of the Earth. Scientists have produced what looks like an accurate computer-generated model of how the universe came into existence. The Hitchens brothers have even been persuaded to talk to each other. Yet all I can think about is one thing: bad wolf.".
The underlying theme for this series has certainly captured his imagination,
and hopefully that of the nation. "The new Dr Who - ahead of any possible expectations - is a triumph. Funny, scary, moving, silly and above all really, really well crafted, it is as good a piece of popular entertainment as television has lately produced. It serves - and for this we must surely thank it - as a standing rebuke to the notion that the unplanned formats of reality TV and docudrama are the way forward."

The Herald
reviewed the episode, wryly commenting on the premise that nobody in London
would notice a nuclear explosion in Cardiff. And on the TARDIS:
The Tardis itself saved the day. All of a sudden, it's alive, and telepathic to boot. Stare into its heart and you cease instantly to be a satirical symbol of New Labour. It could only happen in science-fiction.

The Guardian's
Media Monkey comments on the "bad wolf" references cropping up in the series,
and what will it all mean?

The Scotsman
reports on David winning the Best Male Actor award at the
Critics Awards for Theatre of Scotland, for his role as Jimmy Porter
in John Osbourne's play Look Back in Anger. Says Tennant:
"I'm supremely chuffed to win this award. It's a part I've wanted to play for such a long time. Theatre work is part of what I do and I don't see it as something you leave behind."

The Times adds: "To get a prize as well seems almost unjust. I am especially grateful to the rest of the cast, the best playmates any actor could have."

As the new Doctor, David Tennant is already under "non-disclosure",
says the
The Herald,
which discussed how everyone is playing the new arrival close to their
chest so as to not tempt fate after Christopher Eccleston's departure.
The
article goes on to talk about the actor's role in the re-launched
Dixon of Dock Green, and that he is about the only Scottish actor
that hasn't appeared in Taggart!

Today's Points of View saw a number of letters on how the last
couple of episodes were considered very scary for children, echoing the
fuss over The Unquiet Dead back in April. The programme also
included an interview with producer Julie Gardner, who didn't actually
confirm whether Billie Piper would leave early in series two, but did
rave about how good the last two episodes are going to be!

ITV are planning to introduce a new quiz show which it hopes will
revive the falling ratings since Doctor Who started - though
the quiz itself, which starts on the 18th June, isn't expected to
be in the same slot as the BBC's overwhelming success story! More on
the plans in
The Guardian.

Former Doctor Peter Davison has been said to have expressed interest in
returning to the new series alongside incoming Doctor
Dabid Tennant. He says: "I would love to do a cameo visit as my old self.
I'm disappointed that Eccleston is only doing one series but Tennant is a
genuine Doctor Who fan and a great actor. He'll bring a real sincerity
to the role.". The story has been reported online at
Contact Music and in the
Daily Express.

Listings magazine TVQuick are running a poll on the best actors, drama,
soaps, etc., and amongst the categories you can find Christopher Eccleston
in "Best Actor" (as well as former Doctor Peter Davison for his "Last Detective"
series!), Billie Piper in "Best Actress", and the series itself in the
"Best New Drama" category!

You can cast your vote here, and
you don't have to pick Doctor Who of course!
(It isn't in the best soap section though!)

Note: the poll is for UK viewers only.

Other news:

The Sun
reports on a man trapped in his car desperately asking the paramedics to phone
his wife to tape Doctor Who! (lifted from DWM it seems!)

icWales have interviewed Mark Gatiss, talking
about The League of Gentlemen and Doctor Who.

Yorkshire Today reports that the online game The Last Dalek has now seen over half a million people play the game.

The Scotsman features an article on Sarah Parrish, briefly mentioning her friendship with
new Doctor David Tennant.

A report on the Sheffield Mayfest in
Look Local, which
featured a photo opportunity with the TARDIS.

Mention of Christopher Eccleston's former
teacher in article about Ian Charleson Award winner Nonso Anozie in
The Harrow Times.

The BBC Press Office issued a release yesterday on
BBC Worldwide licensing,
showcasing Doctor Who amongst others for
international sales. Describing the series as "a top quality drama, with a sci-fi twist", the release notes that BBC Worldwide are looking for
partners to market both the series and its merchandise around the world.

Of course the series has already begun broadcast around the world,
with a number of others already having bought the series to show!

Premiered 26th March 2005, 7:00pm, BBC1
The "home" of Doctor Who, of course! The series is accompanied by the
Doctor Who Confidential documentary each week, focussing on aspects
of the show being broadcast and elements of the Doctor Who mythology. See
our ratings page for more details on the series'
progression in the UK.

Dacter Who! The series premieres on the 2TV channel on
Sunday 5th June at 11:15pm, featuring the first two episodes
Rose and The End of the World.
The series is to be dubbed into South Korean, and the website is in Korean
too, though Google's translation service makes the pages 'passable' - see
the Doctor Who mini-site at KBS for more
details.

Jungwon Lee,
executive director at KBS Media: "We are excited to launch Doctor Who on
our network; for the first time in a primetime weekend slot, we are bringing
the latest hit BBC drama to our Korean audience and anticipate a great
reaction from all age groups."

The series will be shown here during Winter 2005, details from their
news section currently says:
Prime Television is thrilled to be bringing Doctor Who to New Zealand television screens later this year. Doctor Who's long-awaited return was a ratings success for the BBC, attracting up to 10.5 million viewers in the UK on its premiere night, a 43% share of audience.
It has been over 40 years since Doctor Who hit television screens. The show promises to deliver all the excitement of good drama, with a hero who never carries a gun. Fans should brace themselves for some exhilarating experiences and deadly confrontations.
Doctor Who will screen on Prime this Winter.

The
BBC Press Office
reported on 11th April that airline Thompsonfly would be broadcasting Rose:
Following a deal struck at this year's BBC Showcase, Thomsonfly (formerly Britannia Airways Ltd) will broadcast episode one of the new series to passengers from 1 May on each of its video-equipped planes, on all routes around the world.

"International"

Various Alrlines

The Telegraph
on 29th May reported on other airlines also taking up the series from June;
these included British Airways, Virgin Atlantic,
Singapore Airlines and Air New Zealand.

The News of the World reported that Billie Piper wouldn't
be leaving the series, echoed by the BBC's
CBBC site;
on the other hand
The People suggested that she was
being paid an additional £120,000 to appear in four more episodes,
also mentioned by
DigitalSpy.

The Telegraph
reported on the sale of the series to South Korea, and to a number
of airlines (see broadcast news item); on the way
in which sales have gone:
The BBC, which now makes more money from selling formats than actual shows, had feared that the programme's distinctly British feel might put off overseas viewers. In fact, the reverse has turned out to be the case.
The corporation has not released an exact figure for how much the sales will net. Industry observers, however, believe that the brand could be worth more than £70 million worldwide when merchandising is included.

And for today, the
Western Mail reports on the nefarious activities to be
expected in Cardiff in next week's Boom Town:
"We're in Cardiff, no-one from London cares. The South Wales coast could fall into the sea and no one would notice ..."(warning: the article contains spoilers about the episode! But if you like that sort
of thing there's also
a preview in our reviews section)

Other bits:

Both today's Sun and Star talk about robot versions
of Trinny and Susannah.

The Guardian reports on a set of coincidences between 1981 and 2005, which appeared
in the Mail on the 27th and in the Sun yesterday!

With the news that Billie Piper would be leaving the role during the
course of next year's series, the speculation on who would be taking
over as the Doctor's companion continues!

The Mirror reports that auditions
have already started for the role as of last week, and that the BBC are looking
for "a brunette who is sophisticated but feisty. Most of all she must ooze sex appeal and have good legs - because they plan to put her in short skirts.". The paper goes on to list a range of potential actresses for the role:

Megastar are pretty sure that it's going to be Eastenders
actress Michelle Ryan, based on the Mirror certainly giving her
prominence!

The Daily Star,
on the other hand, believe that Jennifer Ellison
from Hell's Kitchen is the one to watch.
The actress's spokesman has said: "She would love the role - she'd be ideal!", and 'a source' mentions:
"There are many names in consideration, but Jennifer's is on everyone's lips at the moment.". The paper also mentions Michelle Ryan, and
Footballers Wives star
Lailla Rouass being considered.
Also reported by
Megastar(switching allegiance from Michelle!),
Sky News,
Ananova,
ITV,
Female First,
and
DeHavilland.

Not content with their articles so far, Megastar are also
running a poll to find out who we think should become the next companion! (hover over the photo for the Megastar opinion!)

As always, until we have official confirmation from the BBC these names
are simply press speculation!

Sunday 29th: The
CBBC website reports that Billie will be staying for the series, at
least according to a Sunday newspaper!
DigitalSpy
report that the People had printed the story, and that Billie was going
to do seven instead of three. The BBC Press release about no decision either
still stands ...

Other news bits:

The Last Dalek has proven to be a hit worldwide, reports the
Brand Republic.
Says Managing Director for New Media Collective, David Eccles:
"It's a lot more than button bashing, it's fun but also requires thought and a certain amount of cunning from players, which the 'Doctor Who' audience clearly loves."If you haven't played the online game yet then get over to
the BBC website
immediately!

Billie moving on, from
Dark Horizons, and
a discussion on who should take her place from
Metro.

A stage play of Doctor Who is being performed tonight at John Stocker
Middle School in Exeter, with an especially recorded intro by former
Doctor Colin Baker, reports the
Exeter Express & Echo.

The Stage reports that
BBC Head of Drama Commissioning Jane Tranter promises
more family drama for the weekend and bank holidays.

The question about whether Doctor Who is too scary continues
to cause debate, with former Doctor Peter Davison now entering the fray
to say what he thinks in
The Stage this week; of his children he says: "They reckon the new Doctor Who is too scary and asked if they could watch Daddy playing him instead." The
actor also talks about Eccleston leaving, and on his role in
The Last Detective.

Other news bits

This morning's
Guardian
discusses the news about Billie apparently leaving, and how the cast
vanishing, one by one!

After some speculation on how long Billie Piper will remain in the series,
today's tabloids
report that she is to leave next year.

The Sun
comment that she might only appear in the first three episodes;
however, the paper also comments that programme bosses hope she'll
remain for around seven. It also reports claims that Mickey might
become a full-time companion ...

The Mirror
meanwhile comment that no actual episode count is known as yet. They cite
the source as Dreamwatch magazine, and also speculate on who could
replace Billie, with singer Rachel Stevens and Eastenders actress
Michelle Ryan being mentioned. Later on in the day, the
Wiltshire Advertiser mentioned Spooks star Keeley Hawes and
Kelly MacDonald from Trainspotting.

After the news about Billie Piper in Little Britain, now former
Doctor Colin Baker will be in the third series; says Baker: "I enjoy doing
comedy after drama; it's a bit like a diet. You need variety.". Reported
in the Mirror and on Digital Spy.

A discussion on wormholes on
BBCi, referring to
the "time tunnel effect" in Doctor Who.

The Sun
reveal who the enemy in Boom Town will be. Don't read if you don't
want to know!

Friday Roundup (20th May 2005)

A discussion of the bisexuality of John Barrowman's part in
Doctor Who at
After Elton.

A security guard who worked on the production sets of the latest series of
Doctor Who has turned out to be a burglar who stole almost
£35,000 of property from homes in the Bristol area to feed a drug
addiction, the
Bristol Evening Post
reports.

The Big Brother website has now confirmed that the Doctor
will be setting the TARDIS down in the Big Brother house in a
forthcoming episode, with the company Endemol granting the BBC permission
to film there, as reported in the Star a few months ago!

The surreal story about entertainment shows also sees spoofs of
The Weakest Link, with "Anne Droid" hosting the show (voicecd by
real host Anne Robinson), and also
of Trinny and Susannah's Not To Wear.

DeHavailland also cover the story, mentioning that the
BBC hope that BB Presenter Davina McCall can do a voiceover for the show, too.
Also reported by
DigitalSpy

There were also comments made about the Doctor landing in
Big Brother territory from
HecklerSpray.

It has been reported that the forthcoming episode on Saturday, The Empty Child,
is facing cuts due to being "too horrible". Scenes in question
apparently involve the sounds of 'skulls cracking', which have been
considered a little too scary for the early evening time slot.

Says producer Phil Collinson:
"The whole sound effect that went with that was a lot more visceral. We watched it for the first time and said that was crossing over the line because it was a bit too horrible."

Further controversy seems to have arisen over new character Jack
Harkness, introduced in this episode, in terms of how the relationship
between this character and Rose and then the Doctor will be seen to develop
over the course of the series.

Today's Metro Green Room carries the story:
Christopher Eccleston would like to return as Dr Who - but not on TV.
"If there was a radio version I would definitely look at that as it
won't take up so much time,' he said.

Christopher Eccleston has talked about how gruelling he found recording
Doctor Who, and how it had an impact on his health, especially
skin complaints that he felt 'disfigured' him, particularly during Dalek.
He also commented on how working on the show was not good for social life!
"You can't have a life. You can't socialise. It's like having a Tardis
in your skull and every time you open your mouth you see a Tardis."
Reported in the Star, and online by
Contact Music,
Digital Spy,
and
Female First.

Australian paper the
Daily Telegraph
reports on the imminent arrival of the new series on Australian television,
featuring a conversation with production designer Edward Thomas.

The
Norfolk Daily Press
reports on a recent Dalek invasion in the town of Holt; local shop Revolution
Ink is the sole distributor for Norfolk and Suffolk for BBC licensed products
such as K9, the TARDIS, and of course Daleks!

Censors have banned young children from buying the new series of Doctor Who
on DVD, says The Times this morning;
this means that it looks likely that the second DVD will join the first in
having a 12 certificate!

A spokesman for the BBFC said:
"We were concerned at the use of violence to resolve problems. The Doctor is a role model for young children but he takes out his anger on the Dalek. A good role model should not use torture to satisfy his desire for revenge. It is not an acceptable way to deal with problems of power. The DVD must not be supplied to anyone under the age of 12."

A further article from
The Times
comments on the BBFC decision: Many, however, will see this ruling not as a helping hand for nervy fathers but the interfering arm of the nanny state, intent on exterminating all free thought. For the BBFC's principal objection to Doctor Who lies not in concern that it may be too frightening, but a politically correct nervousness about depicting "the use of violence to resolve problems". The censors take issue with one scene where the Doctor "tortures" the last of the Dalek race. It concludes: No story can fire a young mind if it is all kittens and cotton wool. Indeed, some of the most successful children's tales, from Harry Potter to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, contain elements of cruelty. What makes them morally appropriate for children is not an absence of conflict, but a demonstration that good can triumph if it asserts itself.

The story is also mentioned in today's paper editions of the
Telegraph and Metro.

Tuesday

The Times
featured an "Opinion" on the censorship decision. The Censors. action over Doctor Who crystallises, in all its absurdity, key trends of our time. First, the judgment of a bureaucratic elite is held to be superior to that of informed individuals, so government appointees, not parents, decree what is the correct way to bring up children.

The news also made it globally, thanks to United Press
International, with
Pittsburgh Live
in the States also mentioning the censorship.

British company Cougar Films have announced at Cannes that they
will be producing a new film, Double Life, a film about a man who
thinks he loves twin sisters. Described as a
"high concept sci-fi genre piece", it will be
directed by
Joe Ahearne and starring Christopher Eccleston.

Cougar Films was founded by popular writer Lynda La Plante, and
Sophie Balhetchet, who also produced Joe Ahearne's successful but
short-lived Ultraviolet vampire series on Channel 4.
The film is said to have a
£3.5 million budget and co-produced with Hungarian Film Connection
and Ildiko Kemeny.

The schedule for next Saturday by the BBC show that not only is
Doctor Who on earlier due to the Eurovision Song Contest, but also
that it is some five minutes shorter than usual! The timeslot is shown
as 6:30-7:10pm, ie. just 40 minutes long. However, the BBC3 repeat later
in the evening shows 12:20-1:05am, which is the normal 45 minutes.

So, we don't know as yet if there is simply a mistake in the schedule
on the BBC website at present - originally it had been expected to start
at 6:25pm - or if the BBC1 broadcast will be cut in some way!

The Brighton Exhibition had its press launch yesterday;
CBBC Newsround were there to give a report and photos on the opening
(watch out for this on the programme itself!), which features a whole host of
monsters and props from the current series. The exhibition is due to
stay open until
at least November, and if you go now it'll be worth visiting back again later
in the summer when new items from the unbroadcast stories are added to
the exhibition!

The Doctor Who film debate has risen again,
this time from the latest Cannes film festival, where BBC Films mentioned
the idea during discussions about the part-financed film Match Point
by Woody Allen. BBC Films boss David Thompson is said to have confirmed
that they are pushing ahead with plans for a Who film, but it is dependent
upon how the series is received in the States. Mentioned by
BBC News.

Female First
and The Sun report that Mike Tucker, responsible for some
of the notable special effects from the current series - the crash into
St. Stephen's Tower and the Dalek to name but two - will not be having
his contract renewed by the BBC. This seems to be down to financial
reasons, ie. the BBC cannot afford to keep on the team, despite the
astounding work put in for the series.

Both The Sun and The Star commented on the soon-to-arrive
Captain Jack Harkness, played by John Barrowman, in the 21st May episode
The Empty Child. Featuring a photo of his character and Rose
together in front of Big Ben, both papers imply that there will be some
tension between new boy Jack and the Doctor over his interest in Rose!
"The pair really connect and there is a real sexual chemistry between
them," said a show source. Also mentioned is guest star
Richard Wilson, featured adorned in a gas mask by the Sun.

After much speculation of the fate of failed series Celebrity Wrestling,
it has finally been formally announced as being taken off the air.
An ITV spokeswoman said: "Despite a strong start bringing in a large share
of younger viewers to ITV1, in the last couple of weeks we have seen that
share fall and as a result have decided to take Celebrity Wrestling out of
the schedule."
This Saturday sees the last showing of the programme, which will see a
new reality show starting on the 16th May,
Celebrity Love Island,
says
BBCi. Meanwhile,
The Scotsman reports
that the wrestling will be replaced by
repeats of the Star Wars movies according (hoping to
cash in on the hype surrounding the soon-to-be-released "third" movie?).

With recent news reports on the Little Britain stars Matt Lucas and
David Walliams being involved in a story for series two (and the latter
maybe writing an episode), it's now reported that Billie Piper might
be reciprocating by appearing in the next series of the comedy show! According
to the Star and Sky News, she'll be playing the arch nemesis of chav
queen Vicky Pollard. Also mentioned by
Megastar,
Yahoo,
and
ChartSingles

Continuing the ratings-bashing reports from last week, the
Express and Star
today also comments on how Doctor Who has exterminated all opposition
from ITV on Saturday evening, even noting
that Strictly Dance Fever is beating Hit Me Baby One More
Time in the ratings, too.

Rupert Smith in today's
Guardian was pleased about this weekend's episode and it's view on publishing: After the emotional rollercoaster of BBC2's scheduling, Doctor Who (Saturday, BBC1) seemed comforting and reassuring, despite being set in the year 20,000 and featuring a very large, angry alien. Anything that satirises the profession of journalism is all right with me, but this did it with style ... Max eventually blew up in chunky, juicy gobbets; would that all meddlesome publishers could be so easily dealt with.

Other news bits:

The Metro's Green Room this morning mentioned Rachel Weisz
wanting to be in the series: (she) is gutted that she was never asked
to become Dr Who's assistant in the new TV series. "I always dreamed I might
play the role on stage or radio as I never thought they would bring it back,"
she said. (also mentioned by
Contact Music)

The Standard reviews last night's VE Day celebrations in London,
mentioning Christopher Eccleston's reading from Laurence Binyon's war poem
For the Fallen, and the fifteen second silence held after. The evening
was also covered
by
Contact Music and
Hello Magazine.

It seems that the toll on ITV's Celebrity Wrestling means it'll be
taken off air imminently, says
The Mirror
on Saturday. ITV Director of Programmes, Nigel Pickard, has now vowed to
step in. He said: "It's a certain type of show. We're trying it on
Saturday nights and that's been a complete battleground for the last 20 years.
We had a bad night last Saturday, but we got a very good share of the 16 to 24-year-olds. I've scheduled the next two weeks' programmes, but if it's still getting the same after that, we'll be looking at it."
Also mentioned by
Digital Spy.

The Guardian reports that this might take the form of nostalgic programmes to
ostensibly celebrate the channel's 50th Anniversary.

CBBC's Charts for the last week
mention that
Doctor Who was the favourite television show,
whilst
Billie Piper entered the
Celebrity chart.

Digital Spy
reports on an article in the about Billie Piper
considering a house opposite her husband Chris Evans.

The Times looks at Russell T Davies Unscripted, which was repeated
on BBC2.

Exhibitionalism (6th May 2005)

There is a new Doctor Who exhibition opening in Brighton,
which will be concentrating on presenting exhibits and information from
the current series. The exhibition will be at
Brighton Pier
from the 14th May. More details from
BBC
Cult.

The Mirror and
The Guardian
report on David Tennant's pre-Who role in ITV's adaptation of
Secret Smile, in which he plays crazed stalker Brendan Block.

The Sun comment on Billie Piper and David Walliams being seen together. However,
The Mirror refutes the
claim, saying that she is still happily with Amadu Sowe!

FemaleFirst
has reported that Simon Pegg, appearing in the forthcoming The Long Game,
managed to fluff on of his lines twenty times during the course of filming!
He said: "It is without question the toughest line I have ever been given to say. "I could sense everyone's buttocks clenching every time we got to shooting that bit. But I could feel everyone willing me to get it right."

Christopher Eccleston has pledge £10,000 as part of a bid to stop
Malcolm Glazer from buying out Manchester United. Shareholders United
vice-chairman Oliver Houston said: "We are delighted that Chris has put his money where his heart is and we hope that he is the first of many high-profile United fans who will lead the way by coming forward in our club's hour of need."(shouldn't that be hearts?!!) Story mentioned in
Daily Mail,
Manchester Evening News,
and
SoccerNet.

Milton Keynes Citizen reports on the huge number of
people who went along to Collectormania in the town last weekend, citing some
27 stars from the series in attendence, including the four Doctors Paul McGann,
Sylvester McCoy, Colin Baker and Peter Davison.

The
Leamington Spa Courier talks to local artist
Kevin Parish, who was inspired by the return of the series to create a
tribute to the show.

PR Leap report on the sales
of remote-controlled daleks going through the roof at GadgetWizard.Com
after last weekend's episode.

More on the Saturday night ratings, this time in today's
Independent, which said that Celebrity Wrestling only made 800,000 viewers!.
This is an error, they meant the show lost that many viewers! The
Mirror also commented on
how ITV hasn't got a strong line-up: The lack of ideas or ambition on ITV is shocking. By comparison, the BBC's schedule - Strictly Dance Fever, Dr Who, Casualty and Match of the Day - looks more like a proper night's family viewing.
The Daily Record also carries the story.

New Doctor David Tennant was at the premiere for Kingdom of Heaven
last night, and Film Focus
briefly interviewed him. On taking on the role: "It's very exciting and very daunting, in equal measures. Just the amount of attention it gets is quite overwhelming. But there's no better show in the world. We start shooting in July."

Meanwhile, the official Labour Party site, continuing it's
campaign to use actors who have benefitted from Labour's policies,
quotes
Tennant on voting: "(it) will take you 30 seconds and will last five years". On a lighter note, the Dalek Party makes an appearance in
Milton Keynes, with a manifesto including free space travel for pensioners, home rule for Skaro and zero tax on sink plungers..

Please note: the Society does not endorse any
political party, and is merely reporting Doctor Who-related news.

Computing Magazine blog 'backbytes' throws up the question as to whether
daleks use Bluetooth or WiFi ... (!)

More Dalekmania (3rd May 2005)

Online gadget retailer GadgetWizard.com reported that they had unprecedented
sales of their remote controlled dalek during the Bank Holiday weekend,
almost certainly down to renewed interest with the broadcast of
Dalek.
Steve Owen, GadgetWizards' Managing Director:
"The Remote Control Dalek consistently features in our top sellers list, but the number of purchases over the weekend for this product was way beyond are expectations. We had predicted that we might see a surge in demand after the Dr Who Daleks episode and are delighted to have been able to meet all our customers' orders".
Reported by
ClickPress.

More on the ratings "wipeout" for ITV in
The Guardian and
The Scotsman,
reporting on their third lowest audience for
the evening ever! None of its main shows managed more than an 18% share, and
averaged at 15.5%. An ITV1 spokeswoman defended the show, however:
"This was only the second episode and the show is still bedding in."

However, according to Broadcast Now the tables
have been turned for yesterday, when the BBC suffered its worst overall
audience share for a day at 18.8% (21.2% peak).

The overnight ratings for Dalek have come in, showing that once
again Doctor Who was the highest rated programme on Saturday evening;
more details on our ratings page.

DigitalSpy
look into the success of the story; says reviewer Dek Hogan:
Had we got an episode steeped in Dalek mythology I think I.d have been bored to tears; what we actually got was something akin to Beauty and the Beast via Silence of The Lambs and it turned out to be the best episode so far.

CBBC's Blue Peter featured a behind-the-scenes item on
Dalek in their Friday edition, and the
online site presented a series of images from the episode. The site
then had
a poll
on whether the Dalek frightened you or not (at the time of writing it
was 28.91% thinking it scary, 71.09% not). And if that isn't enough
there is also a
Dalek quiz for you to take!

The Mirror had an article on Raymond
Cusick, commenting that the designer of the Daleks only got paid
£80 for his work. Talking about his work for the BBC and how well
the Daleks were received, he ended by saying: "I was doing a question and answer at a fan convention in Liverpool and they all stood up and gave me a standing ovation. I couldn't believe it. I won't forget that." The story is also
mentioned by
DigitalSpy, and
a more local interview with Ray Cusick from
West Sussex Observer.

Stairway to Heaven
reports Rupert Smith in
The
Guardian as he reviews the episode. "The Daleks are back on BBC1, Ian McKellen is starring in Coronation Street and beautiful people are ripping each other's clothes off for our entertainment on ITV1. If this isn't the golden age of TV, then what is?" However, not everybody was so happy, as the
Observer noted: The BBC was braced for viewer complaints last night after screening possibly the most terrifying Doctor Who episode ever.
In the story, shown on BBC One before the watershed, Time Lord Christopher Eccleston came face to face with his arch-enemy, a Dalek, which then went on a killing spree. In one scene the Doctor was shown half-naked being tortured with electric shocks.

Back Behind The Sofa - it's A Dalek
is the positive review from
The Times: All the Daleks. dubious design features were gleefully addressed by Robert Shearman.s script for Saturday.s story. So there were references to .space dustbins., the Dalek.s sink plunger sucked someone to death, and there was no escape in running upstairs because it took to the air. No wonder the body count was alarmingly high.
Shearman also continued to strike the right balance between the respect and renovation displayed by the series which has finally given Doctor Who some proper dialogue.

The Sun
report on manufacturer Ian Clarke, who holds an exclusive license to make
replica Daleks for sale at This Planet Earth.

David Walliams, recently touted as being in the second series of
Doctor Who alongside Matt Lucas, has now been suggested as a writer for
the series, according to the Sunday Mirror.
Says an 'unnamed TV insider': "Russell T. Davies, the chief scriptwriter, is a massive fan of Little Britain. He was impressed by the fact David's comedy writing is always full of really original ideas. David jumped at the chance and is taking it very seriously.". Also mentioned by
UK Comedy Guide
Chortle
and
DigitalSpy.

Other bits:

The Guardian reports on complaints to the BBC about trailers in programmes,
including the extraneous "Next Time" in Aliens of London.

Not a lot of news this morning, which might be the prelude to massive
coverage for tomorrow's grand adventure ... or maybe not!
The
Guardian does makes a brief mention of tomorrow's episode in its 'Must List'. Later on in the day
The Times also featured an article, with Simon Barnes reminiscing on Daleks and
tennis!

In the meantime, steel plant engineer Stephen Grylls talks to
BBCi
about Dewi, a Dalek he has been building over the last three years.

With one ex-Doctor speaking his mind on the departure of the 'ninth',
another talks about the arrival of the 'tenth'! Sylvester McCoy talks
to the
Daily Record about fellow
Scot David Tennant, pointing out that he had to tone down his accent for
his own tenure in the role! He also hopes to be able to come back as a
villain in the new series at some point. The article also includes comments
on both actors' lives, and also mentions that Sylvester might be off to
Australia to promote the new series there, alongside Tom and Colin Baker.

NME
reports on the release of
Dr Who at the Radiophonic Workshop Volume 1 & 2
on 13th June, covering the music, effects and atmosphere from
the first four Doctors' eras.

Ambassadors, Daleks and Treasuries! (28th April 2005)

Christopher Eccleston is becoming an ambassador for the learning
disabilty charity MENCAP. Says Chris: "Learning disability used to be known as 'mental handicap' but times change and people with a learning disability now find the old term offensive.
I am very proud and excited to become an ambassador for Mencap and will do my best to justify such an honour.".
Reported by Yahoo News,
icCoventry,
and later by the
Manchester Evening News.

In the run up to this weekend's episode, Dalek items are to be
expected.
The trusty
Sun
unearths a dalek-shaped drinks cabinet! In Doctor Brew & The Barleks,
fan Neil Woods talks about his creation.
Paul English from the Daily Record
talks about both this and last weeks' episodes.
And
Daleks are to appear at the Churnet Valley Railway this weekend to celebrate
the return to the TV series, says the
Staffordshire Sentinel. And finally another article on dalek designer Bill Roberts, this time
in the
Milford & West Wales Mercury.

Sunderland University lecturer and Doctor Who fan Neil Perryman has
just landed some publicity from both his local paper
(online in
This is North East) and on
BBCi
for a short story that is due to be published by Big Finish in
their anthology,
Short Trips: A Christmas Treasury.

In another Christmas 'tale', the
Paisley Daily Express
report that new Doctor David Tennant will be turning on the festive lights
at his native town.

Australian Who (27th April 2005)

ABC have finally set the date for the premiere of Doctor Who in
Australia, commencing the run on Saturday 21st May from 7:30pm;
broadcast information is
on their website. The news is reported in Brisbane's
Courier-Mail.

Other News

Sarah Crompton reveals she isn't a fan of science fiction in the
Telegraph's Art section.

Father Mark Edwards of St Francis Church, Barrow, has put himself up
as someone who could be the new Doctor Who, reports the
North-West
Evening Mail!

Tuesday (26th April 2005)

Peter Davison had some words to say about Christopher Eccleston leaving
in the
Mirror: "He is letting down the programme. His commitment should have
been for at least a couple, maybe three, series. I hate
to see, after all the effort that went into getting the programme back on TV,
Doctor Who scuppered by an actor saying 'I don't want to do this anymore'."
The story was picked up by
Sky News,
Digital Spy,
Waveguide,
Ananova,
and
Contact Music which pointed out
how the decision had 'infuriated fans'.

Another former Doctor Who-related commentator talks in
The Telegraph; this time it's former script editor Christopher
Bidmead, commenting on the return of the sonic screwdriver amongst other
things! "Our purging of silliness from the show wasn't just political correctness. It made the stories much better. The Doctor's ''sonic screwdriver'', for example, was magical baggage we had to lose. A pen-sized gizmo that could blast through tempered steel, translate Azurian into English, and fend off the Karturi by generating an impenetrable neutron dome might be just the ticket in real life, but in fiction was a sure-fire story-killer. We didn't want our audience shouting out from behind the sofa 'where's the sonic screwdriver?' whenever peril threatened."

The
Times
comments on the way in which the Prime Minister and his cabinet were
portrayed in the series in their election section, and the apparently
thinly veiled comments about weapons of mass destruction. The article
ends: Labour strategists clearly have not watched the show. They made an informal approach to Christopher Eccleston, who plays the Doctor, to come out for Labour. He refused politely.

"Let Doctor Who give us a fright", says Bristol's
Evening Post in
an article by Nigel Griffen on what the watershed is about and how people should
determine what they watch.
So, to the knee-jerk reactionaries. To people who apparently exist in a tidy, fluffy-bunny world, where amnesia clearly reigns supreme, I offer this thought: shut up, would you, and go to bed!
You complain about frightening telly before the watershed which, incidentally, was a voluntary development; created to offer a guide to viewers.

Other bits:

The
Daily Record repeats comments
about Tennant's Horace Can't Help It from yesterday's Scotsman.

Another
Daily Record
article, this time on Dalek agility in the next episode.

Wetherby's police box becomes a public attraction, from
The Evening Post for Leeds.

Call him Dr View now!The Sun
proclaims, as the ratings for the weekend show the series way ahead of
ITV for the evening (more details
on the ratings); the article also goes on to talk about next week's
excitement with the Daleks and Bruno Langley a week later.

The Guardian also reported on the overnights' success of the show, which
also went on to indicate that ITV's whole evening wasn't particularly
successful!

Dalek
Terror returns to Doctor Who says BBCi, reporting on the return of the
Doctor's oldest non-human adversary! Talking about revamping the image
of the creature away from it's previous 'disadvantages',
The new Dalek can also spin its torso independently of his head, so creeping up from behind is no longer an option. Its trademark "sink plunger" attachment also reveals a terrifying new function.. Says Mike Tucker,
"We have taken all the perceived weaknesses of the Dalek and made them deadly."

The
Sunday Mail reports on what David Tennant
would like the Doctor to wear on his travels: 'I would love to be the first Time Lord to wear a kilt. And I intend to speak with a full Scottish lilt when I make it into the Tardis.'. The story also appeared in the
Mirror, also mentioned by
DigitalSpy.

The Scotsman today features more on David Tennant;
talking about his first 'appearance' in the paper's
student guide back in 1991, "Horace Can't Help It" covered a
student's-eye view of Freshers Week.

The
Wales on Sunday
suggests the Daleks could speak with a "Valleys accent"! The article then
goes on to interview Gareth Hopkins, whose uncle Bill Roberts was one of the
principal designers of the original Dalek look.

Other news bits over the weekend

The
Observer
suggests that ITV's Hit Me Baby One More Time might be meant to be
their version of Doctor Who.

Atrios Blog on how Saturday's episode of Doctor Who was an
allegory on the Iraq War.

Friday News (22nd April 2005)

The Scotsman
this morning carried an article with Louise Nicoll of The Famous Grouse bar
about a certain new Doctor's penchant for whisky, having visited there on
BAFTA night! The brief item discusses his (third party) views on Romeo
and Juliet, and Casanova.

Robots fail to keep Character out of red says the
Telegraph Money section
today, talking about the decline of sales for company that owns the license
to a number of Doctor Who toys. However, things are improving:
Mr King said the worst was behind the company, pointing out its remote-controlled Daleks, as part of the Dr Who range, were selling very well. "They will be the must-have toy this Christmas." He was also pinning his hopes on a range of talking mugs based on the cult BBC comedy series Little Britain.

DWAS Local Group
Sutton Whos
are featured in the Croydon Advertiser (article referenced at icSouthCroydon); the item contains
comments on the new series and casting from both
group leader Kate Green and long-time member Robert Preston.
Kate has since pointed out that the online article
has misquoted them!

Bit of an old one this, but last Saturday's
Guardian Sport had a brief mention of Who it Dave Podmore's column:
Still nothing from the BBC about Dave Podmore becoming the new Doctor Who. Let's face it, miseryguts in the leather coat was never in it for the long haul in any dimension you care to mention, and the selectors have embarrassed themselves. To give me a head start over Mike Gatting I've offered a 2-for-1 deal whereby Jacqui would be my pretty assistant, sending in a tape of her handing out bits of French cheese and demonstrating Iams No Hairball cat food at Brent Cross on the same morning as proof of her versatility.

Little Who? (21st April 2005)

The Sun's paper version reports on Little Britain stars Matt Lucas
and David Walliams making a cameo appearance in the next series of Doctor Who.
Online,
both Sky Showbiz and
Ananova comment on the story, also mentioning pop star Will Young as another
possible guest star.
(Young was commented on looking for acting roles on
Top of the Pops on the 9th April - which also wondered if he'd take
on the role of the Doctor himself!).
icBerkshire comments on how Matt Lucas and David Tennant are already
friends from their time on Casanova together.

Plenty to read over at Filmforce this morning, with an analysis of "the Doctor"'s salary,
the specially set up websites for the show like
UNIT's, plus a review of
The End of the World(don't
forget our own recently created reviews section!) There is also a
comment about sci-fi revivals and will we next see The Tomorrow People
and Sapphire and Steel back before long!

The Wheel in Space director Tristan de Vere Cole opened an
exhibition on the work of his father John Augustus at the Fordingbridge
Museum, Southampton, reports the
Southampton Daily Echo.

Dalek Upset (20th April 2005)

Doctor Boo Hoo says
The Sun,
as it reports on a rather upset Dalek at the start of the sixth adventure.
As usual the Sun mentions it's single-handed success in getting the daleks
back on screen! The Daleks, saved for the show by The Sun, return in force later for a space war.

Discussion on David's Tennant's appointment with the TARDIS continues, with
BBCi opening
one of their Talking Points on the subject.

Doctor Hooch says
The Mirror, commenting on Tennant's departure from the BAFTA's with
a bottle of whisky! The paper also commented how he is getting lessons on
how to deal with big 'star nights' from Blackpool co-star Sarah Parrish,
who accompanied him on the night.

The
Daily Mail reports on Tennant's salary, citing that with the cuts in the BBC
e has been forced to accept around half of Christopher Eccleston's earnings
(£600,000 according to the paper). A source close to the production said: 'There was some relief that Chris went as he was so expensive. The show was only going to be recommissioned if the costs were cut.'

The South Wales
Evening Post
reports that Russell T Davies is busy writing the first script to feature
the new Doctor.

This morning saw comments on how the ratings for Doctor Who this
weekend slipped below Ant & Dec's for the first time in its run.
Says
The Mirror:
The final instalment in the current run of their ITV1 show peaked with 9.1million when Ant McPartlin was forced to do a Bushtucker Trial by sidekick Declan Donnelly. Their show drew an average 7.1million viewers compared with 7million for Doctor Who, which peaked at 7.6million - the lowest rating in the series..

The Daily Record said something similar, but attributed the
slump to Christopher Eccleston leaving the role.
(not that this affected the
ratings for The Unquiet Dead!)

However,
The Guardian is much more conservative on the peak, saying:
The final episode of the current series of Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway drew an average of 7.1 million viewers, peaking at 7.8 million when Ant McPartlin was forced to do a Bushtucker Trial and ended up covered in insects. The article also points out that Doctor Who is still the BBC's
strongest performing non-soap production, with a healthy 34% of the audience.

The
Scotsman
commented on actor David Tennant at yesterday's BAFTA awards:
The next Doctor Who star, David Tennant, led the way down the red carpet, wearing a kilt for the bash at the Theatre Royal, in London's Drury Lane.
He said of his new role: "The expectations are fierce. Tom Baker wore a long scarf but they haven.t worn one since, so I don't know if I will wear one."
Asked about how long he'd stay for:
"Let's get through one at a time. I'd love to do a hundred years but they might sack me."

The Guardian carried a brief review of Saturday's episode, which Rupert Smith
called "the best episode yet"!

Christopher Da Vinci (17th April 2005)

Christopher's Eccleston's next project seems to be to play a part in the
forthcoming film adaptation of Dan Brown's best-selling book
The Da Vinci Code, according to the
Sunday Mirror.
Chris would be playing the brainwashed albino monk Silas if he accepts
the role, though he might have to wear a long white wig!
Filming for the film starts in June for a 2006 release.

Bushell on the Box in today's
People makes a small
comment on how Doctor Who last night wasn't that scary:
NO danger of last night's Dr Who frightening kids. The Slitheen looked like Tinky Winky on steroids. They were aliens who broke wind. Laugh? You'll never start. On the plus side Rose's mum punched the Doctor, but she still couldn't wipe the daft grin off his face.

BBC Breakfast News are the first to broadcast the announcement on-air at
6:10am: The Scottish actor David Tennant has signed up
as the new Doctor Who. The Casanova star is replacing Christopher
Eccleston, who announced he was bowing out of the famous role after
just one series. The 33 year old will become the tenth Time Lord. Good luck to him!

The
Daily Record report that
David Tennant has landed a £500,000 deal to play the role, also pointing
out that it's his 34th birthday on Monday! Also mentioned is the number
of lives that seem to be rapidly used up: Fans have pointed out it was established years ago that Time Lords have a limited number of regenerations - which will soon run out if actors quit after a single series.
Antony Wainer, of the Doctor Who Appreciation Society, said: 'He has 13 bodies so he's getting through them.
The way things are going, the series could be finished off in the next three years'.

The Mirror
report that Tennant signed the contract a few weeks ago, but had been
sworn to secrecy. As well as also mentioning the £500K deal, it also
says that Eccleston had earned £650K for his role. Plus a brief
resume of his current life.

Being a Scottish actor,
The Scotsman
understandably followed up the earlier announcement with
a short biography of David Tennant (orginally McDonald),
from his early days forging a career in Scotland to his highly successful
role as Casanova.

The article at icWales
goes on to say that a BBC spokeswoman refused to discuss if Tennant's contract
covers a second series in the role.

BBCi have been keeping up to date with developments. In an
updated article from this morning, there are now plenty of reader feedback on
the casting, plus a new article on how
"Actor
David Tennant conquers TV". There is also a poll on whether you'd prefer
Chris, David, or someone else as the Doctor - at the time of writing the results
were 41.13% for Chris, 32.33% for David, and 26.55% for someone else, out of
2648 votes.

First out is
The Times, who talks about a regeneration at the end of the series that could
scare viewers under the age of eight!

BBCi's report
comes out at 1:11am, basically saying the same as the press release but
reminding us of the other actors whose names had been linked with the
role beforehand.
Other sites covering the news in the early hours of the morning include:
The Guardian,
The Telegraph,
The Scotsman,
Digital Spy
and
Reality TV World, which says that the BBC wanted to secure Tennant before
his film career takes off!

Friday Roundup (15th April 2005)

The debate over whether The Unquiet Dead was too scary for young
children continues; this morning's
Times
updates its comments from yesterday, noting that the BBC were now examining
future episodes to determine if they had scenes in them that could produce
a similar outcry; it also noted that
regulator Ofcom was investigating whether the show had breached
watershed guidelines.

The Independent briefly mentions the statement in print:
The BBC has withdrawn its advice about Doctor Who being too frightening
for under-eights to watch. A statement on the BBC's complaints website
on Wednesday saying the show was not for children under the age of eight
had been "a mistake", said a corporation spokesman.

The
Western Mail reports on the opinion of Children's Commissioner
for Wales, Peter Clarke, who said:
"Some children aged eight and under would not be at all fazed by an episode of Doctor Who whereas someone of 12 might be.
The BBC has done the right thing in bringing it to parents' attention and it should be commended as it didn't have to do that.
It might be helpful to give parents an age guideline otherwise they wouldn't have a clue how frightening it is.
But while many children may find some children's programmes frightening others wouldn't so the BBC shouldn't give the impression that all children under the age of eight should miss out on Doctor Who." It also mentions the comments by
Conservative Shadow Education Secreatary Tim Collins, adding:
"I personally don't have any problem with it. I think it's perfectly appropriate entertainment.
There are much, much worse things that quite young children are seeing up and down our land.
Doctor Who is probably one of the healthiest things they can watch."

Today's Metro's Green Room comments: Dr Who bosses originally
wanted Anna Friel to play the Doctor's sidekick, Rose. But the role went
to Billie Piper after the actress revealed she was pregnant. Oops!Interestingly, Anna is the partner
of actor David Thewlis, whose name has been associated with becoming the
next Doctor!

The roots of the Doctor Who theme is traced to Coventry, says the
Coventry Observer in a profile of composer Delia Derbyshire.

Ted Glazzard, owner of Bromyward's Teddy Beat and Toy museum in Malvern,
talks about his pride in having a real life-size Dalek at the exhibition;
mentioned in the
Malvern Gazette.

This is Devon
talks about K9 coming out of retirement from the Dog's Trust where he now
resides.

This morning's
Times
commented that Doctor Who is becoming too scary for young children, after the
(successful) fright caused by happenings in The Unquiet Dead:
Now the BBC has issued advice that young children should not watch the revived series, after 50 parents complained that their offspring were still suffering sleepless nights following Saturday's episode.
The Guardian also reported on the story, noting that there were over 50
complaints made and could rise to 100 when emails are taken into account.
The corporation rejected the complaints, but did say the series was inappropriate for children under eight years old.

The BBC's (original) response
to the complaints, below:

Doctor WhoPublication date: 11 Apr 2005

Complaint

Episode three of Doctor Who was too scary to broadcast at 7pm

The BBC's response

Doctor Who is famously remembered by adults as being the family teatime programme which they watched from behind the sofa as children. The series has always been shown in the early evening and, while the monsters may be scary, the content is carefully considered for a pre-watershed audience.

The programme sets out to balance the right amount of humour, drama and suspense in each episode. In The Unquiet Dead broadcast April 9th, the comic character of the Welsh undertaker and a larger than life Charles Dickens together with the laughter and bravery shown by the Doctor and Rose in the face of danger were, we believe, vital elements in putting this "ghost story" into the right context for a family audience. This is a balance we will strive week by week to maintain and remain vigilant about.

Doctor Who has never been intended for the youngest of children and in line with the BBC's scheduling policy, the later a programme appears in the schedules, the less suitable it is for very young children to watch unsupervised. We would suggest it would be a programme which 8 year olds and above would enjoy watching with their parents. Programmes for very young viewers are clearly indicated in the listings. The programme is well trailed giving a clear indication of its content.

However, in an interesting backtrack the BBC have now withdrawn the
statement, stating on
their
website
that the original comment was "a mistake". You can read the amended
response
in full here, of which the last paragraph now reads:

We leave it to the discretion of parents to ultimately decide what is suitable for their children to watch. The programme is well trailed giving a clear indication of its content.

Says Shadow Education
Secretary Tim Collins, well known Doctor Who fan:
"Dr Who is about the battle between good and evil. I was watching it and thoroughly enjoying being scared out of my wits when I was six or seven.".
Picked up by
The Scotsman,
Manchester Online.

The Times noted the retraction on its website, and might be in tomorrow's print edition. Other reports at
Morons.Org.

And if you want to vote on how scary you think Doctor Who is, CBBC are
currently
running a poll.

Other news

The Guardian also talks about Bad Science in its Education section
this morning, citing the rotation of the Earth mistake in Rose and how
this had been precendented in Paul Saint's novel The Suns of Caresh
when the TARDIS ploughs through the English countryside after a miscalculation
on travelling from Israel to Chichester!

The
Brand Republic reports on the
telephone box transformations taking place to promote the DVD release of
Doctor Who.

IcCroydon talk about how the casting of Billie Piper brought about a
whole new "regeneration" to the show.

Today's
Evening Standard (at least online) talks about how the special effects
for the new series are far better than in the old days. Focussing on the
up-and-coming story for this Saturday, it also talks about the hand-made
effects made by Mike Tucker used for the spaceship smashing through St. Stephen's Tower, as
seen in the trailers.

More on the effects in this week's Radio Times!

Doctor Leslie (13th April 2005)

John Leslie is the latest name to come up for the vacant role of the Doctor.
According to
The Sun
his friends have said: "John has cleaned up his act in recent months and is looking trimmer than ever. He has lost a couple of stone and reckons he fits the bill for the Time Lord.".
Also reported by Ananova.

Tuesday Roundup (12th April 2005)

The
Daily Record
has an interview with Colin Baker, who is appearing as Van Helsing at the
Festival Theatre in Edinburgh; he said he'd prefer to share the TARDIS with
Billie Piper than any of his previous sidekicks!

Norfolk Now considers whether humans could ever become masters of
time with the Norwich Astronomical Society. Says society chairman Mark
Lawrik-Thompson: "Dr Who has yet again captured public imagination and Christopher Eccleston's character has certainly given the time-travelling Time Lord a new lease of life. We usually do lectures about astronomical objects such as stars and the galaxy, but with all the hype around the new series we decided to look at time travel."

Brief related comment in the
Guardian,
talking about the University of Cardiff, and Daleks. Also a brief profile of actor
Simon Pegg who went to South Warwickshire College.

The BBC's Entertainment
page (as well as its "launch the TARDIS" animation) has an "Imagine if" about
Rose choosing her four top websites!

BBC Worldwide Press Release (11th April 2005)

Doctor Who takes to the skies with BBC WorldwideDate : 11.04.2005

On the eve of MIPTV, BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, has concluded two major deals for the brand new first series of Doctor Who, starring Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper.

Following a deal struck at this year's BBC Showcase, Thomsonfly (formerly Britannia Airways Ltd) will broadcast episode one of the new series to passengers from 1 May on each of its video-equipped planes, on all routes around the world.

In Italy, the entertainment pay-TV channel Jimmy has added Doctor Who to a number of programmes recently licensed from BBC Worldwide including The Office , Little Britain and League Of Gentlemen.

Russell T Davies, who has reinvented television's favourite two-hearted Time Lord for a new generation, said: "Doctor Who has a remarkable 'fandom' but equally it's the new audience that I care about. Someone who has never heard of a TARDIS or a Dalek, whether in Toronto, Turin or Swansea, will be able to start with this new series, climb on board with The Doctor and Rose, and travel the whole of time and space."

Doctor Who is a co-production with CBC in Canada and has also been sold to Prime TV in New Zealand. The first episode was a major success for BBC ONE in the UK when 10.5 million viewers tuned into watch The Doctor's return on 26 March. The 43% audience share dominated the British television schedule.

Fans of the world's longest running sci-fi television series can look forward to 13 brand new episodes in the first series, and the welcome return of time-honoured favourites, Daleks and the Doctor's TARDIS.

Another positive review from
Rupert Smith
in today's Guardian, though he is perhaps getting a little tired of the "Eccleston grin",
but still loving the leather coat! In the Media section there's is an
article on how advertising agencies played the publicity around the series
return.
Also,
a brief letter from a David Cochrane in Dublin: Maybe the BBC should have a different Doctor Who each week. It seems to work for Have I Got News For You.
Another article on the stealth tax from premium rate phone-ins also happens to mention
Who, wrly commenting on how we missed out on voting for whether the Daleks
should be in the series or not!
And finally a quick note on tonight's BBC4 Timeshift on
Russell T Davies.

This morning's Metro also contained a positive review (plus 5 out of
5 stars!). This is the classic stuff today's lille 'uns will look back on
with childhood nostalgia. Today's Sun comments on how once again
Doctor Who has beaten Ant & Dec in the ratings
(8.34 vs 7.14 million, audience share 36% vs 32%).

MediaWeek report on a new phone-box advertising campaign to
coincide with the release of the first DVD for the new series; commencing on
9th May, some 450 kiosks will be made up to look similar to the TARDIS.

DigitalSpy
commented on the problems experienced with Sky+ recordings of Doctor Who
on Saturday night.

FemaleFirst reports on Chris Evans blaming Doctor Who for his marriage break-up.

Weekend Roundup (10th April 2005)

Sunday

The Wales on Sunday
reports that Russell T Davies would never cast a woman Doctor in a
million years! Talking about Eccleston's departure, he confirmed that the BBC
always knew of his intention to leave, but that it wasn't meant to be
announced to the end of the series. He also heaped praise on Chris's
performance, citing him "the best Doctor in the world."
Also reported by
DigitalSpy.

News is definitely slow today, with the
People
having to resort to digging up Christopher Eccleston's nude appearances in
his films!

Very minor mention of the series in the
Sunday Times by Rosie Millard in an article commenting on being wealthy and in debt: One correspondent berated me for laughing at people "forced to stay at home and watch Doctor Who", as if that in itself were a shameful thing to do".

Scotland on Sunday interviewed Mark E Smith of The Fall, during
which he comments on turning down the chance to become the Doctor:
"... 10 years ago there was talk of me being the Doctor. I was down at the BBC, doing a session for (John) Peel, and this bloke - he must have been a Fall fan - said a place on the short-list was mine if I wanted it. 'Nah, I don't do acting,' I said. Well, could you see me fighting t'Daleks?"

Saturday

Wales's
Western Mail
talks to Russell T Davies about his series, both successful and not-so
successful as he talks about Doctor Who and Mine All Mine.

The Mirror
reports on Christopher Eccleston launching a fund-raising campaign by recording
a voiceover for a cinema commercial; more on the research itself in reports yesterday from
BBCi
and
Manchester Evening News.

Brief mention in the Independent's
finance section
on items that might turn out to be a lot of money, including a bit on Doctor
Who toys: Dr Who toys are experiencing a revival, for example. A 1965 Daleks snowstorm with its original box recently made £640 at a Vectis auction.

An article on Anthony Ainley is in today's
Guardian,
mentioned in the new Wisden obituaries.

In related news, Deep Roy is mentioned in
The Sun
as being the only actor to play an Oompa-Loompa in the new Charlie and the
Chocalate Factory film!

Mention of The Unquiet Dead in Charlie Brooker's column in
The Guardian.

The
Buxton Advertiser features local actor Bruno Langley, late of
Coronation Street, Doctor Who (in the two-part series finale), and his new role
in Romeo and Juliet. (Thu)

The Guardian mentions Quatermass as being a good training ground
for potential new Doctor David Tennant. (Thu)

After the K9 report yesterday, another story on three puppies named after
characters from the series was reported in
Shoreham Today; K9, Darlick and Dr Who are all looking for a new home.

Friday roundup (8th April 2005)

Not a lot on Who today at all, but the
Daily Record mentions that ITV are planning a rival sci-fi series
starring veteran 'space traveller' Patrick Stewart! The series is called
Eleventh Hour and is penned by sci-fi and former Doctor Who writer
Stephen Gallagher. As the series is due to go out in Winter, however, it
seems unlikely to be a challenger directly to Doctor Who itself!

The
Express Newsline repeats the article yesterday about the Cardiff
scenes being filmed in Swansea for The Unquiet Dead.

The Northern Echo reports on looking for a home for
rescued dog "K9", currently at the Dog's Trust, Darlington.

Thursday (7th April 2005)

This morning's
Times
has a brief bit in its People section on 74 year-old Ronnie Corbett
is putting himself up for consideration for the role of the Doctor!
"I'd love to be considered for the part. Mind you the episodes are likely
to be shorter."Ha ha.

Meanwhile, CBBC presenter Devon Anderson has joined the list of names,
according to
their website. The presenter has been using his slots on the channel
to promote himself as the 10th Doctor, and is supported by other show
presenters including Newsround's Lizzie Greenwood.

The Metro's "Green Room" reports that the BBC will no longer
put up posters for the new series, as they keep getting stolen! Says a BBC
source: "... they are just getting steamed off and collectors are selling
them on the Net."

icWales comments on the irony of a series
being made in Cardiff having to film Cardiff scenes in Swansea for this
weekend's The Unquiet Dead!

Main news today is that Australian broadcast ABC has announced that
it has the rights to screen the new series of Doctor Who in Australia. The
exact date of broadcast hasn't been given as yet, but it is expected from
mid-May.

Says ABC's Head of Programming, Marena Manzoufas:
"This is Doctor Who, 21st century-style, and it most definitely will appeal to people who are new to the Doctor Who phenomenon, as well as long-term fans.
I am in no doubt that a whole new Australian audience will be attracted to the series."

BBC Worldwide's Head of Sales for the Australasia region, Julie Dowding, said:
"Doctor Who is one of the most significant BBC dramas of the year.
It's the ultimate adventure series with the ultimate cast.
We're very happy that it's come to earth in Australia."

What The Dickens!This is Gwent
go behind the scenes on The Unquiet Dead. Says Simon Callow on why he
took the role:
"As well as being brilliantly written, the script was obviously the work of someone who knows exactly what Dickens is all about, and the script very cleverly connects his idealism, which ends up being restored by his experiences, with The Doctor's desire to save the world."

Sky News
report on the winner of their recent poll to see who should be the next Doctor
is Richard E. Grant. Also covered by
Ananova.

Christopher Eccleston is backing the cash campaign for Christie Hospital,
reports
This is Bolton; he'll be promoting their cancer causes "Towards a future
without Cancer".

Another page on the VE Day celebrity concert from Liverpool's
Daily Post.

The
BBC,
have now admitted that it released a false statement from
Christopher Eccleston last week on his decision not to continue with
another series of Dcotor Who. Though an agreement between the BBC and the
actor had been made in January not to reveal his intention not to play
the Doctor in a future series, the press office inadvertently confirmed
the news after the announcement of the new series. Says Head of Drama
commissioning Jane Tranter: "The BBC regrets not speaking to Christopher before it responded to the press questions on Wednesday 30 March. The BBC further regrets that it falsely attributed a statement to Christopher and apologises to him.".
The Telegraph
picked up on the news for the morning's
paper. The Guardian's media section expands on Jane Tranter's statement:
"In January 2005 the BBC and Christopher mutually agreed not to make public the fact that he would not be doing a second series. It was also agreed that any subsequent announcement would be done jointly. Because of the stories being put to the BBC, this was not the case. Contrary to press statements, Christopher did not leave for fear of being typecast or because of the gruelling filming schedule.".

Christopher Eccleston will be performing a reading in London's free concert
to mark the 60th Anniversary of VE Day on Sunday 8th May. Mentioned by
BBC News,
icWales,
and the
Scotsman.

The
National Lottery Show is moving to 7:20pm on Saturdays from 23rd
April - what this means for the Doctor Who broadcast is yet to be known.

With election fever now in full swing,
DeadBrain comments on Tony Blair expressing an interest as the next Doctor!

Monday Roundup (4th April 2005)

Today's main coverage is on the lower ratings seen for the series this
weekend; Media Guardian reports on the loss of 2.5 million viewers from last
week's debut, making the figure 7.3 million (36% audience),
but this is a general viewer reduction for the weekend as
Ant & Dec suffered similarly (6 million, 31% audience).
The story is also covered by
Media Week Online, which reports on BBC1's Casualty performing
best of the evening with 7.5 million viewers in its slot.
The Daily Record puts a much more positive spin on the ratings with
its own headline "Doctor still tops with viewers"! Also mentioned in
The Mirror, which includes a BBC comment: "We expect viewing figures for an episode after a big launch to drop slightly. But the show has fantastic storylines and people have been waiting 16 years to see them."

The Sun reports
that sales of leather jackets have soared, with Littlewoods reporting that
"it's a must have. He's the nation's new hero!"
The story also reported by
Ananova.

The Guardian (at least online)
carries a feature, Net Notes,
which explores each of the Doctors, with links to sites with more information
about them.The Times
briefly mentions David Tennant as a potential Doctor in its
recommedation for Casanova for tonight's television.
And in other related news, Swindon's
Evening Advertiser reports on Chris Evans assertions of Doctor Who
causing the failure of his marriage, reported in Q Magazine;
Norfolk's
Norwich Evening News reports on brothers Angus and Duncan Cameron running the London Marathon as Cybermen;
and
Birmingham's
Evening Mail reports on the Memorabilia event over the weekend.

Broadcast: Blue Peter featured a short article involving a Dalek created
from a old compost bin and assorted household items by two children - and an
unexpected appearance by Chris Eccleston using a Blue Peter badge to 'exterminate' it! You can build this yourself following the instructions from the
Blue Peter homepage.
Watch out for the "Dalek" special item coming up in the next few weeks
for the Doctor Who story of the same name!

Weekend Roundup (updated Sun 1:30pm)(2nd April 2005)

Sunday

After the review madness of last weekend, today is fairly quiet on
that front, at least online. Terry Wogan makes some comment on
'Bernie Ecclestone' in his column in
The Telegraph, whilst weblog
BlogCritics
still feels a bit negative about the new series; a much more positive review
at DVD Times.

"Christopher Eccelston: Who the hell does he think he is?" asks
The Times, which concentrates on the factors that might have led him to
make his decision to quit the role, and the similarities of this to the other
famous British role, James Bond.

The Sunday Mirror reports on how Christopher Eccleston had 'promised'
the BBC that he would come back for another series; the story talks about
an interview removed from the BBC website once he quit where he had said he
planned to play the role 'over the next two to three years'. The story is
also reported online by
DigitalSpy.

The People concentrates on Chris Evans and Billie Piper, where Chris cites
Doctor Who as being a key reason for their eventual split. The story was
also reported by, you guessed it, DigitalSpy.
Conversely, in an interview with the
Wales on Sunday Billie doesn't blame the series at all for their breakup, but it
would have happened in the end, anyway. She also talks about her career in
general and how Doctor Who has come to so influence her life.

Broadcast-wise, as well as UKTV Gold's repeat of Nightmare of Eden, and BBC3's repeat of The End of the World,
BBC2's Heaven & Earth Show at 11:30am featured an interview with
Christopher Eccleston, and later in the afternoon BBC1's
Points of View at 4:35pm featured viewer comments on the first two
episodes of the new series. On radio, BBC Radio Wales repeated the second
part of Doctor Who: Back in Time, which also mentioned
a third part which will broadcast on Bank Holiday Monday, 2nd May,
devoted to Terry Nation.

Saturday

The Daleks may not be back for the second series, says The Sun.
The negotiations for the Daleks to return was only for one series apparently,
and if they are to be in the next series the BBC will need to re-negotiate.
The decision as to whether they will depends on how it goes this year,
a spokesperson said. More details online from
DigitalSpy.

The Globe and Mail
report on the return of Doctor Who to the airwaves in Canada this coming
Tuesday.

Broadcast-wise, we had a repeat of Creature from the Pit on UKTV Gold, and of course the new episode The End of the World on BBC1 at 7:00pm,
plus Who Confidential: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly on BBC3 at 7:45pm; in additional Newsround Showbiz on CBBC featured a behind-the-scenes
look at the second Doctor Who episode. Radio-wise, BBC Radio Wales broadcast
the second part of their special Doctor Who Back in Time: Who's Who
at
1:00pm

Other Friday Items

For those who missed the Jonathan Ross show, there was (inevitably) a
mention of Eccleston's departure after only appeating on the previous week's
show as the new Doctor; also, Ross spent much of the time during the interview
with Eddie Izzard trying to persuade him that he should be the new Doctor!
Izzard was having none of it!

The
Daily Mail today talks about how
merchandising for the series has been thrown into disarray now that Eccleston
is leaving the role, with licensed Manchester firm Character Options
previously planning some 20 items involving his image. However, the
Manchester Evening News
reports the Eccleston action figure will still be available, which will make
it quite a collectors item!

The Mirror report that the last episode of the series
is to have its final moments re-shot to take into account Christopher Eccleston
leaving. Says a BBC spokesman: "We have filmed two different endings for the series finale, but we don't want to give anything away. You'll just have to wait and see.".

The Times
concentrates on David Tennant (a long term fan of the series) being the BBC's preferred choice to take on
the role. Meanwhile the
Western Mail mentions that the
departure had already been planned and will unfold on screen. Later on in the
day,
The Mirror prints another article on David Tennant being tipped
to be the Doctor.
Harry Potter's Page talks about both David Tennant and David
Thewlis being up for the role, both being in the Harry Potter films.

TV-wise, some mention of the departure of Chris on GMTV this morning, plus
a preview of The End of the World; also BBC Breakfast talked to Mark Gatiss
about the live broadcast of Quatermass tomorrow, and of course the Doctor!

Rather bizarrely, Monsters & Critics seem to think that it will be Orlando Bloom, with
Prila Loof as assistant!
Not to be outdone,
Waveguide
report that Jordan will be a regular character in the new series, playing
the leader of a race of women in an episode called "Land of the Vixens". Plus
a small part for her husband-to-be Peter Andre.

After yesterday's announcement that the series was to come back for a second
series, today sees confirmation that this won't be with current Doctor
Christopher Eccleston. Says a spokeswoman for the BBC:
"We can confirm that he is not returning for the second series as the
Doctor because he does not want to be typecast. He is always looking for new
challenges." In a BBC statement Christopher has said:
"The audience's response to the new Dr Who has been incredible. I'm very proud to be part of it and I hope viewers continue to enjoy the series".

The BBC
indicate that talks are now taking place with actor David Tennant, who is about
to feature on BBC1 as Casanova in another of Russell T Davies's productions.
This page also has a link to the video of the report about the decision to
leave. More from BBC Cult.
The BBC have listed
contenders for the role, which as well as David Tennant, also includes old
favourites Bill Nighy, Alan Davies and Richard E. Grant, plus David Thewlis.
You can also say who you think should e the next Doctor on their
Have Your Say
section!

There is now an official
Press Release on the series and Eccleston leaving.

However, the books have been closed! William Hill spokesman Graham Sharpe says:
"I'm afraid that it is a question of Dr No for Dr Who punters. It appears
that the BBC has moved quickly to secure David Tennant's services following
the departure of Eccleston - and it seems that the role is his should he
want it, which makes it impossible for us to open a book."

In general the newspapers all report on the news and the possibility
of David Tennant assuming the role, but
The Mirror speculates
on other possibilities like David Warner and
Eddie Izzard. Oh, and it is also a Sun exclusive!

You can also listen to BBC Radio Five's
Breakfast Show which talks about the announcement
(01:37:00 into the stream), and our own Antony Wainer being "announced" as
the new Doctor! (02:53:45).

Head of BBC Drama Commissioning, Jane Tranter, commissioned a new series
of Doctor Who yesterday, says
The Guardian today. The article goes on to say that not only can we expect a
second series, but also a
Christmas Special! However, the paper also mentions
that neither of the current main stars Christopher Eccleston or Billie Piper
have been signed up as yet, speculating on a cast change for next year!

BBCi talks to Russell TV Davies about the renewal: "It's particularly good for BBC Wales. This is a major flagship show for the region, and their staff and crews are the best you could find. It's a tribute to them that Doctor Who is returning.". More in
BBC Cult.

The Stage
also reports on the story, and cites that Russell T Davies has already
written the first six episodes for the next series. Repeating a comment
from Chris in a recent issue: "It is a huge responsibility to shoulder and I do not want to be thought of as the Doctor to the exclusion of everything else I do in the future. So I'll have to think long and hard about it"

The papers this morning have gone on a toy binge, reporting about the
release in the coming year of all the merchandise we can look forward to,
such as a new remote controlled dalek, action figures, a Playstation game
in development, and other items such as DVDs and birthday cards. Our
Antony is reported in the Metro this morning: "What's really
exciting is that the toys we played with in the 1960s and 1970s will
be relaunched for a whole new generation."(no sign of any Doctor
Who underpants this time around so far!)

The Times, as well as printing a selection of letters submitted
to their
Debate
yesterday, plus a small piece on Simon Callow, who will play Charles
Dickens in Doctor Who next month, is not a fan of the TIme Lord: "I saw the
first episode in 1963 with William Hartnell as the Doctor. It wasn't for me
so I missed the entire procession of Doctors that followed."

Unsurprisingly, the papers this morning concentrate on how Doctor Who won the
ratings war on Saturday night.
"Who's the daddy as 10m find time to see the Doctor" says
The Times
as they report on the BBC's gamble on the series paying off. The 10 million
figure is twice the average seen so far in that slot and said to give new
BBC Controller Peter Fincham a boost. Later on in the day we also had
"Just What The Doctor Ordered" on the success of the series return, and a
review by Michael Grove.

"Zapped by Doc" has
The Sun,
who hails the Doctor's triumphant return and Sun readers' praise. Also,
Caldwell's View

The Guardian reports on the success, plus a round-up of the Sunday paper reviews.

After last night's brief comment, a more in-depth report from
The Scotsman
which also speculates on Rose gaining the biggest ever debut story ratings (10.8 million) once the official figures are in!

Also, on radio TIMELESS local group leader Timothy Farr talked about the
return on BBC Radio Wales's Good Morning Wales programme, and at the
same time Radio Five Live Nicky Campbell and Shelagh Fogerty were also
discussing the programme! (for the latter it is on their Listen Again service,
at about 02:51:00 in the stream).

The BBC website report that the debut of the new series beat off the opposition
of Ant and Dec to gain the higher ratings of yesterday evening.

The unofficial figures for the programme show an average audience of
9.9 million viewers with 43.2% of all viewers (peak viewing at 10.5 million/44.3%). The ratings for Ant and Dec came in at 7.1 million.

The article also includes an apology from the BBC over the sound fault
at the start of the episode, when parts of Graham Norton's live show bled
into the broadcast.

The first morning of the new era, and the first reviews start to appear in
the media.

"After a decade lost in space, Dr Who returns with a bang" says Chris
Hasting in the
Sunday Telegraph.
Chris reports that fans have been very positive on the return of the Doctor
to our screens, including comments from Sylvester McCoy.

"Timelord triumphs in our age of irony" proclaims
The
Observer as science editor Robin McKie reports on the experience of
watching the new series with his nine year old daughter.

"Doctor Who puts sonic screwdriver to work to boost BBC funds" cites
The Independent,
as their article on the return also suspects that the Doctor's device looks set
to become a must-have toy for Christmas!

Graeme Virtue of the Sunday Herald
reviews the first Underworld episode, Gangster, but finishes with
a comment on Doctor Who last night, liking Eccleston's performance but not
so sure about the TARDIS interior.

The Times
has a slightly more negative report, comparing the new series to the Avengers.

Taking the fan perspective, the
Manchester Evening News prints the views of local fans and
Hyde Fundraisers Kevin Taylor and Wayne Broughton. Speaking of them,
Star Wars site The Force
report on Boba Fett actor Jeremy Bulloch appearing in their forthcoming play
The Trial of Davros.

"Kids give thumbs up to new Dr Who" says
CBBC, reporting hundreds of emails from viewers giving a positive
view of the programme.

On a lighter note, fan Ken Meikle caused a bit of a stir outside
the Houses of Parliament when he trundled up inside a Dalek, reports the
Sunday Mail; Ken
was filming a promotional video for a stage version of Doctor Who. The story
was also picked up by
This is London.

Well, the time has finally come, tonight sees the return of Doctor Who after
all these years, and we've got a whole day of Who programming in store, with
UKTV's Gold's back-to-back old episodes, BBC1's Who Confidential special at
5:25pm, and of course at 7:00pm ...

But what do the papers think?

The Telegraph welcomes back the series, with a very positive response to the return. But as they conclude:
Will it be popular? This is not for an adult to say. My teenage son twice
purred "This is really cool," which augurs well. But he worried that his
friends would not watch it. "It's sad watching programmes your parents
liked." Do these children have no sense of tradition?

The Guardian's Sarah Dempster
wonders if the new Doctor will stand the test of time, with a series of
"Then and Now" comparisons between him, the companions, TARDIS and monsters.

Canadian-based
Globe and Mail
also talks about the return of the series, and if old fans will accept it.

The Sun provide a list of
Who Was Who?
in Doctor Who, the online version showing June Brown as an example; meanwhile
the paper also interviews
Will Hadcroft,
who cites Doctor Who as one of the primary
forces in helping him deal with Asperger's syndrome.

BBCi carry an article
this morning on the good old Doctor's TARDIS, discussing the history of
the police box in the UK. The Ordnance Survey have been tracking them down and
now know of 237 in the UK. Other articles on this from
The Scotsman,
The Sun,
and
.
The Guardian features an article on the role of the Doctor's assistants, whilst the
Financial Times considers the return of the series.

The
Yorkshire Post
carry an interview with Christopher Eccleston.
Also, the
Scotsman
re-run the Standard's article by Matthew Sweet with Chris.

The Daleks come in second in a poll for TV's Top Fright moments, in a survey
by furniture retailer Harveys; the Cybermen came fifth in the poll in which
Coronation Street's conman Richard Hillman's won.
(The Scotsman,
Manchester Evening News,
UTV).

Mark Gatiss is interviewed about his work on Doctor Who in Teeside's
Evening's Gazette.

26th, ~5:20am on BBC Five Live:Morning Reports talks to
Antony Wainer from DWAS.
(available on Listen Again until next Saturday)

26th, 7:00am on BBC Five Live:Weekend Breakfast Programme
discusses the show's return.
(available on Listen Again until next Saturday)

26th, 7:30am on BBC Radio Wales: Discussion on the series return
and an interview with Terry Molloy on Good Morning Wales.

26th, 8:00am on UKTV Gold: A special Doctor Who day, featuring
"The Doctor Who Story" (8:00am), "The Time Meddler" (8:10am),
"The Daemons" (10:20am), "Pyramids of Mars" (1:05pm),
"Attack of the Cybermen" (3:10pm), "Dragonfire" (5:25pm).

The Sun continues its large-scale coverage of the series return, this time
with a page dedicated to those celebrities who look like new monsters in
the show! With such comparisons as Anne Robinson as Lady Cassandra and
Jade Goody as the Moxx of Balhoon (also seen online) you can see where this is leading ...
Also, on page three, the Sun have found K9 in a dog's home! (the usual
brief online report).

The Guardian's Media section reports on the BBC's official response to the
leak of the first episode on the Net, and the huge discussion the whole
incident caused. The Guardian also presents a review of Rose,
written by Sylvester McCoy (spoilers!). This has prompted a comment on the
Megastar site about the review! Also,
BBCi also present the "fans countdown to new Doctor Who".

Billie Piper's appearance on BBC Radio One's
Chris Moyles Show yesterday morning caused a bit of a stir
when she inadvertently swore on the live show,
The Daily Record reports.

The Mirror tracks
down the Doctor's previous female assistants to see what they did since
leaving the series.

In other news, mother Shona McClaren talks about her phobia of the Daleks in
the
Scottish Daily Record;
and a very brief comment in
The Times Football section in an article about Joe Cole.

So scary it's Doctor Boo! screams the Sun this morning in another of
it's (daily) spreads on the new series; as usual a very cut down version of
the article appears
online.

An article in Scottish paper
The Herald
looks into what to expect from the new series.
Also, Karen Price of the
Western Mail looks at Russell T Davies (and the series return in
general on the previous page).

Meanwhile Andrew Marr
talks about his small role for the series in his
Notebook
article in the Telegraph.

In other items, BlogCritics compares Doctor Who versus Battlestar Galactica in the
television age.

New BBC Press Pack (22nd March 2005)

The BBC have released the second of their press packs, with more details
on the series, detailing special effects, production design, miniature
effects, prosthetics, makeup, and monsters and facts.

Christopher Eccleston is interviewed in this morning's
Sun,
during which he said he's had the time of his life. However, the paper
edition suggests that he is seriously considering whether he would go onto
a second series, fearing being type-cast. The same story is taken up at
icWales, and mentioned at
ContactMusic.

According to
The Mirror, Billie also wouldn't be watching her appearance on television, but would
instead head off down to the pub; this was also reported on
Ananova.
Meanwhile, she doesn't quite make it to the top of a poll on
the Doctor's 'sexiest' assistant, either - according to both the Mirror and the
Daily Record.
she was beaten to first place by Louise Jameson!

The Guardian also enthuses over the return of the series (again) in
an article by Mark Lawson,
Carry On Doctor!.

For those who watched her triumph on Saturday's Mastermind, DWAS
Publications Officer Karen Davies is interviewed by
BBC Norfolk, and also
gets a mention on the local
Norfolk Now site
(and repeated verbotem in the
Norwich Evening News).

Weekend Roundup (19th March 2005)

Sunday:

The Observer talks to Christopher Eccleston about becoming the Doctor.

The Sunday Herald presents a
preview of the first episode of the new series, comparing style over content.

Welsh minister Rohdri Morgan nearly ended up landing a part in
Doctor Who, report several papers today; the minister arrived on set for an
interview for show Dragon's Den but got mixed up with extras!
Reported in:
BBCi,
Wales on Sunday,
The Scotsman,
The Express,
UTV,
DeHavilland.

Paper-wise, both the Sunday Sport and Sunday Express ran articles
concentrating on the previous companions in the run-up to the new series,
whilst the Independent features an interview with Billie Piper.

Saturday:

The Times looks at how Billie Piper's career has progressed from a
teenage pop star into the companion of the most famous time traveller on
television.

The Telegraph presents
an A-Z of Doctor Who, from Autons to Professor Zaroff(!).
Paul Whitelaw talks about his excitement on the return of the Doctor
in The
Scotsman.

BBC Norfolk have recently conducted
an interview with Terry Molloy; My life with Davros
discusses Terry's most famous role, and his excitement at the return of
the series.

Today's Metro mentions in it's gossip
column The Green Room: Graham Norton hankered after a role in
the new Doctor Who series.
'I did train as an actor so why don't you want me?' he flounced.
The paper also singled out Warrior's Gate as an item you can get from
VicPine, a specialist in rare items
on VHS and DVD!

Tonight's Culture Show features Who; information from their
distribution list today: This Easter sees the return to our screens of
one of the great characters of
British television, Doctor Who. It's been sixteen years since the BBC last
made the programme - no big deal for a Time Lord perhaps, but a lifetime
for his legion of dedicated fans. Matthew Sweet, something of a Doctor Who
obsessive himself, has been examining what it was that made the original
series so distinctive, and wondering whether the new version can carry it
off. Mark Lawson and his team will be reviewing Dr Who tomorrow on Newsnight
Review.

Filmforce report that in the US the new series might only be seen on DVD! Both
the States and Australia have yet to have a station successfully negotiate to
show the series.

In related news, The Un-broadcastable Radio Show is a new pilot
being developed for Radio 4, and stars comedians from Fallowfield, Manchester.
Said to be following in the footsteps of Little Britain and
The League Of Gentlemen, the
South Manchester Reporter
cites member and sci-fi buff Toby Hadoke basing one of his characters on
Davros!

Also,
Simon Pia's Diary
in the Scotsman talks about a new "dematerialising" loo to appear (and
disappear!) in Aberdeen.

LONDON, 14 March 2005. An exclusive six-page article in the April
issue of Digit magazine - on sale now in WHSmiths and all good
newsagents - reveals the digital special effects techniques behind the
much-hyped Doctor Who series. It also features exclusive images from
the series.

The editor-in-chief of Digit - the UK's leading digital creativity
magazine - was given exclusive behind-the-scenes access to The Mill, the
Oscar-winning London-based special effects agency that created the special effects for the new series.

Digit's editor-in-chief, Matthew Bath, witnessed the series' special
effects and spoke to the visual effects producer for the series, Will
Cohen.

"In a word, the new Doctor Who is amazing. The result has been the
creation of over 1,000 effects shots for the 13 episodes - with episode
two accounting for a staggering 200 effects shots in just 45 minutes," says
Matthew Bath.

The Mill's Cohen has been working on the series since April 2004.
Interviewed for the article he explains how they first pitched for - and
won - the work, and what he felt when he saw the scripts: "I
remember reading them and blocking out the number of effects - it made me
sweat.

"[The Oscar-winning] Gladiator had 100 effects shots which we did in
six-months. We've had nine months to do 10 times that number," Cohen adds.

The result, he says, is spectacular: "It's like nothing that has been
seen before on British television."

Bath agrees, writing: "The special effects are at the level seen in the
movies."

He adds: "For one episode, which features a morphing character with
liquid-plastic skin, the team mixed physical models with CG (computer
generated) effects. In many scenes, the actor was given a plastic sheen in
make-up. In others, a digital morph involving the actor's fingers -
in the style of T100 in Terminator 2 - took the team three weeks."

Cohen at The Mill had 20 people working full-time on the project, using 100
computers. "We had 30 machines dedicated to the project during the day and
the full 100 worked during the night."

Cohen also describes his favourite CG character: "The character is
played by Zoe Wannamaker. We shot Zoe delivering her lines, and then
recreated the CG character with all the facial expressions based on
her." The upshot is ... well, like a flattened version of Zoe.

The April issue of Digit, which features an exclusive image of the
Tardis on the cover goes on sale March 10, 2005 and is available
through WHSmith and newsagents.

You can also order the latest issue from Digit's Web site,
www.digitmag.co.uk. Images are
copyright and reproduced with kind permissions of the The BBC and The Mill.

Monday (14th March 2005)

Christopher Eccleston reported on BBC News last Tuesday that this Saturday
would see the final wrap for the series filming, and today's
Independent (Review, p14) goes on location to see the final story being recorded,
and talks to the writers.

The Guardian's Media section looks at the new, re-vamped BBC Cult
website for the series.

Tom Baker has been voted the nation's favourite Doctor in an SFX poll,
proclaims The
Sun this morning;
The
Guardian displays a little more decorum on the subject! Also covered in
The Scotsman.
From yesterday, Russell T Davies defends various decisions made in where
Doctor Who was filmed and how it was cast to the
Wales on Sunday. Meanwhile,
The
Observer looks into why we are still fascinated by aliens.

In related news,
The Times
briefly compare the Millenium Statium in Cardiff used in the new series
against Coventry's new stadium opening later this year; they also have a
cartoon accompanying an article on Gordon Brown's budget to be.

Weekend Roundup (13th March 2005)

"Doctor Who: be afraid, be slightly afraid", says Sunday's Independent,
as the article discusses the impact of the series on the public since 1963.

Similarly, "Carry on Doctor" proclaims
The Sunday Herald
as it explores the history of the long-lived series, and why the time
maybe right to bring it back to the screens.

In other articles,
The Times Woman mentions the Doctor's eccentricity;
Engadget
discusses the TARDIS in its Movie Gadget Friday.

Yesterday,
Psychoanalyst Darian Leader explored why the Doctor remains so popular
in
The Times; The
Scotsman "Opinion" reports on Christopher Eccleston's non-fan admissions.

Also:
Waveguide
briefly mentioned Doctor Who Confidential;
David Stuckey points out to
The
Times that they forgot Peter Cushing (Friday);
Filmforce have a news roundup from Friday.

Friday roundup (11th March 2005)

After the madness of the last few days, things are much calmer today.
Russell T. Davies appeared on BBC1's Breakfast News
to talk about his new series Casanova, and some other series
also returning imminently ... meanwhile on ITV's GM:TV Entertainment
programme there was a special feature on the return of the series and
interviews with its stars.

The Mirror's 3am section carried a small piece on how the
previous days' rumours on her re-launching her pop career are unfounded -
she's quite content to be an actress at present!

The Guardian presents a quiz by Andrew Pixley to test your knowledge on the series.
Go on - see how well you do!

On a more personal note, This is Derbyshire
talks about the return of the series with local Northampton fan
Steve Marriott.

BBC Press Release on New Series (10th March 2005)

Acclaimed actor Christopher Eccleston plays Doctor Who in a new 13-part series for BBC ONE transmitting on Saturday 26 March 2005.
Billie Piper, who made her acting debut in the critically-acclaimed Canterbury Tales: The Miller's Tale, stars alongside Eccleston as the Doctor's companion, Rose Tyler.

Travelling through time and space, the Doctor and Rose come face to face with a number of new and exciting monsters - as well as battling with the Doctor's arch-enemy: the Daleks!

The series, which promises to surprise and entertain a new generation, also features Penelope Wilton, Noel Clarke, Annette Badland, Camille Coduri and John Barrowman, Richard Wilson, Simon Pegg, Zoe Wanamaker and acclaimed theatre, film and television actor Simon Callow.

Lorraine Heggessey, Controller of BBC ONE, says: "There is no secret about the fact that I desperately wanted to bring Doctor Who back to its rightfully place on BBC ONE.
"Russell T Davies and the writing team have done an incredible job."

Russell T Davies says: "The new series will be fun, exciting, contemporary and scary . a full-blooded drama which embraces the Doctor Who heritage as well as introducing the character to a modern audience.
Christopher Eccleston's Doctor is wise, funny and brave; an adventurer who travels through time and space.
His detached logic gives him a vital edge when the world is in danger, but when it comes to relationships, he can be found wanting. That's why he needs Rose (played by Billie Piper).
Rose is a shop-girl from the present day. From the moment they meet, the Doctor and Rose are soul mates. They understand and complement each other.
As they travel through history and across the universe, the Doctor shows Rose things beyond her imagination. She starts out as an innocent, fettered by earthly concerns.
But she ends up an adventurer who, by the end of the series, can never go home again.
Wherever they go, whoever they meet, every story will come back to Earth. For all the danger and tension this is a fundamentally optimistic series.
The human race will survive . but only with the Doctor's help. Prepare for brand-new adventures in the human race..."

A BBC Wales Production for BBC ONE, Doctor Who is written by Russell T Davies, Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss, Paul Cornell and Robert Shearman.
The executive producers are Russell T Davies, BBC Wales' Head of Drama Julie Gardner and Mal Young.

In March there will be a 13-part companion series for BBC THREE, entitled Doctor Who Confidential, presented by Simon Pegg, which takes a look behind-the-scenes of the new Doctor Who series.

On Radio 2, Project Who? (22 and 29 March, 8.30pm), features interviews with the cast and crew.

bbc.co.uk/doctorwho contains further details about the new series plus background information about the classic series.

Website content includes:

Over two hours of specially shot on-set videos (even the Daleks have sent in a video diary).

Doctor Who Confidential: The entire BBC THREE "making of" show available on-demand (13 x 30 minute episodes). This is the first time a non-news TV show has been streamed on-demand.

The Doctor Who Years: 3 x 30 minute specially edited video compilations, mixing classic tunes and Doctor Who clips in a nostalgia tour of the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties.

Conquer! -the BBC's first multiplayer online role-playing game.

Hidden sites - enter the world of the programme through a series of hidden sites referenced in the TV show. Can you find the Doctor?

Classic clips - more than 250 classic clips from the original series (everything from Tom Baker to the first appearance of the Daleks).

Downloads - the site offers MP3 downloads of sounds, and mobile wallpaper (Trust us - there will be no escape from a phone that sounds like a Dalek death ray).

Exclusive trailers - in the countdown to transmission the site is offering exclusive trailers.

Finally, to mark the launch on BBC ONE of the new Doctor Who series, BBC TWO celebrates one of British television's much-loved and truly iconic series in a special night of programmes on Saturday 19 March.

In a one-off Mastermind Doctor Who Special, four Doctor Who aficionados will be put through their paces by Mastermind host, John Humphrys to find out who will be crowned the UK's top Doctor Who fan.
The prize will be presented by the new Doctor, Christopher Eccleston.

So Some Things You Need To Know About Doctor Who will be packed full of Doctor Who trivia, plus there is another chance to see The Story of Doctor Who - a nostalgic archive documentary about the longest running TV drama series.

Thursday Review (updated 3:00pm)(10th March 2005)

The Times
again discusses Eccleston's admission of not being a fan of the original
series; the paper edition also features a front-page, full colour photo of
character "Jabe the Tree", played by Yasmin Bannerman.

The Guardian
concentrates on the thoughts of the cast and crew on the return of the series,
and opinions held by those viewers at the preview on
Monday evening, including the third Doctor team of Barry Letts
and Terrance Dicks.

The Sun
also delves into new monsters from the series, with "The Face of Boe", Autons,
"The Moxx", and "The Ambassadors" (not of Death?).
Also, Doctor Who saved my life on how Christopher Eccleston helped
Billie Piper through the breakup of her marriage
(also covered by news sites
Sky News
and Ananova
v1)
and
v2).

The Independent
reported on the special MP screening from last night,
though another debate on the anti-terror bill threatened to intefere with
politicians' enjoyment, not least of which was well-known fan Tory education
spokesman Tim Collins!
Other items from today:Manchester Evening News on the new series
and Eccleston's northern origins;
Daily Record has an interview
with Jimmy Vee, who plays the aforementioned Moxx;
Bella has a
brief guide to the original series;
BBCi mentions
the coverage in the papers this morning, including a copy of
the Times front page.
And catching up from yesterday:BBC Newsround, including the broadcasted item available to view on-site.

More on the leaked episode (updated Thurs 8:20am)(9th March 2005)

Reuters have recently issued more information on the situation regarding the
way in which Rose ended up leaked on the Internet, linking the incident
alongside the BBC's initiative to provide Internet streaming of television
programmes. Full details below:

BBC's New "Doctor Who" Hits Internet Early
Wed Mar 9, 2005 9:19 AM ET

By Adam Pasick

LONDON (Reuters) - The BBC is planning an ambitious distribution strategy that will let viewers watch its TV programs over the Internet, but found out this week that cutting-edge technology can cut both ways.

Especially when time-traveling doctors are involved.

The publicly funded broadcaster was forced into damage control mode when one of its most highly anticipated programs, the first new series of the revered sci-fi drama "Doctor Who" in 16 years, leaked out onto the Internet.

Thousands of fans, unwilling or unable to wait for the scheduled broadcast date in three weeks' time, downloaded the show using the popular file-trading software BitTorrent and other file-trading networks.

"It shows how much demand there is for 'Doctor Who,"' a BBC spokesman said, sounding a positive note. "Years later there is a huge audience desperate for the new series."

The UK downloads more pirated television than any other country, according to a recent study, especially U.S. shows like "24" and "Desperate Housewives" that are broadcast in Britain after a lag of several months.

Analysts estimate that BitTorrent, which is used to download both legitimate and illicit content, accounts for roughly a third of all Internet traffic. BitTorrent is a peer-to-peer network, meaning that users download from each other instead of from a single source.

The BBC's iMP relies on a similar peer-to-peer structure. Unlike BitTorrent, the BBC plans to lock up content sent over iMP so that it can control who uses the service.

The broadcaster had previously said it would limit iMP to those who pay the $230 annual license fee that is levied against all UK television households.

But Director General Mark Thompson said this week that the BBC was considering offering iMP to non-license fee payers for a fee, which would drastically broaden the BBC's global reach without relying on satellite and cable systems for distribution.

"One of the things the teams have been looking at is how to generate money back to the BBC," said a spokesman for BBC Interactive.

"There's nothing concrete at the moment, but we're looking at how we could work it so that if overseas users wanted to see some of these programs, we could generate revenue as part of that."

The BBC has already completed technical tests on iMP and plans to roll it out in a UK trial of about 4,500 householders later this year. An earlier project, the BBC Radio Player, has already proved a success, with listeners tuning in to 4.2 million hours online.

The Media not surprisingly have reported on the formal launch of the series,
and both Chris and Billie appeared on this morning's BBC Breakfast Time
programme, with reports on location from Cardiff. Meanwhile, the announcement
was covered on
BBCi, talkin about the preview last night and how the series will develop.

BBC Radio 2 have launched a site for their forthcoming Project Who
documentary shows.

The two shows are Bigger on the Inside (22nd March), exploring
how Russell T Davies went about returning Who to the screen, and
Reversing the Polarity (29th March) examining what makes a good
Doctor Who story.

The site also features audio clips from recent Radio Two shows, amongst
others. See the site
for further information.

BBC Launches Doctor Who (8th March 2005)

Well, it's finally here! The BBC launched Doctor Who tonight in Cardiff, with
live coverage on the BBC Wales local news programme at 6:30pm. Expect
a number of trailers on tonight and from now on in the lead up to the
26th March broadcast date.

BBC Radio News this morning reported that the leaked episode is
a breach of copyright and only a rough draft version, not the final version! This was followed up by the
BBCi
article on the incident being updated:

The BBC said it was "a significant breach of copyright which is currently under investigation".
"The source of it appears to be connected to our co-production partner," a BBC spokesperson said.
Christopher Eccleston is the ninth actor to play the Doctor
"We would urge viewers not to spoil their enjoyment and to wait for the finished version which airs at the end of the month."

In other news,
The
Independent discussed the many enemies, which as well as the obvious
Daleks and Cybermen also included some of the more obscure
adversaries like the Zarbi and the Kandyman!

BBC News
reported on local group The Hyde Fundraisers, in particular
Andrew Green's Special Weapons Dalek!

26th March is D(W) Day! (7th March 2005)

Russell T. Davies was interviewed on BBC Radio 4's Front Row
programme at 7:15pm this evening (Monday). As well as talking about his
'current' series Casanova, conversation of course turned to the
other key series coming back soon! His enthusiasm for the show shines
through as ever, especially on how the 20th Century production crew managed
to put stories together on their budgets.

But most importantly, presenter John Wilson
reported the news that we've all been waiting for, that the series will
be broadcast from the 26th March at 7:00pm!

You can listen to the interview online from the BBC's
Listen Again service until the next show is broadcast (7:15pm on Tuesday).

The Doctor volunteered! (7th March 2005)

BBCi reported today that Christopher Eccleston e-mailed executive producer
Russell T. Davies to volunteer for the role! The revelation came from
an interview Davies had with the Radio Times (to be published soon!).

For more details on the casting, see the
BBC News article, which also mentions about the first episode Rose being
leaked onto the Internet over the weekend.

Filmforce
report that the US Sci-Fi channel are no longer in negotiation for the new
series; parent company NBC Universal were reported to be aiming to
buy both the new and old series, but executives felt that it didn't fit into
their schedules. This does not mean that the new series won't appear in the
States, however, as the company owns another channel, Universal HD
that could run the series.

Website for the sci-fi magazine SFX have released details for the
forthcoming Who Confidential series that will be broadcast on BBC3
after each episode of the new series. Each episode is going to be themed,
covering such areas as the return of the series, special effects, "wierd
science", and of course Doctor Who fans themselves!

A little after 9:00pm on 1st January saw the first teaser trailer for the
new series of Doctor Who being broadcast on BBC1, just before the start of
The Vicar of Dibley; though Internet fans would have immediately
have recognised it as the same as the version seen online at the
BBC
Cult website, it was still a treat to see it in it's full television
widescreen glory, and the first time the general public get to experience
the thrill of the run-up to the new series debut!

Follow these links for current news in
2007
and earlier news in
2003,
2004
and
2006.

For more information on the Temporal Renovators please
feel free to
contact us!